Adherence
by xDollfie
Summary: Black butler with a twist, a female Ciel! Katherine Phantomhive is determined for revenge and is set to overcome the social norms and eradicate all that pose a threat to her with the help of her faithful Demon butler. However, will the fickle emotions of humanity get in their way? New original plot arcs! OCxSebastitan. Dark and Sensual. [HIATUS]
1. Her Butler, Dancing

** ad-her-ence:** the quality of adhering; steady devotion, support, allegiance, or attachment.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Kuroshitsuji but with a female lead character, Katherine Phantomhive. The fan fiction will not exactly follow the manga/anime series as I plan to make the plot different with new exciting adventures and obstacles for the female Queen's watchdog. It will still hold the usual characters (+ new ones) and hopefully the much adored dark general concept of Black Butler ( humor for comic relief as well! )

So in short, it is my version of Black Butler with **new plot arcs/missions **for the Queen's watchdog, with a female lead original character as Ciel for a finishing touch of **_sensuality_**_ **and sexiness.**_ At least that is what I hope to accomplish since i am a mere novice. I probably plan to make it more dark as well. ( Don't we fangirls just love that dark horror cruel aspect of Kuroshitsuji? ) Ratings might change, well screw that, it will probably change.

I hope you enjoy this fan fiction and do leave reviews, follow and favorite if you like it, it would be much appreciated and loved! I own nothing of Kuroshitsuji!

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><p><strong>Prologue:<strong>

_Love_, a short sweet word that holds the most crippling emotions. Every person has their sets of rules, Katherine Phantomhive ultimate rule however, is never to harbor the two most potent emotions, _guilt_ and **love**. These are the two emotions that she must never bear, the world's most humane yet most vicious emotions.

The only way that she could succeed in her **ultimate** revenge and survive the underworld is block out her humanity. In a world so vicious and unforgiving, it's either you allow your emotions to seep through, swallowing you alive or you suppress it and remain cold and heartless.

Katherine Phantomhive was determined to lose her _humanity_.

What happens when the fickle emotions of humanity stands in the way of your life long mission for vengeance? Will it cure her burning and aching thirst for revenge, or will it be just a tad too late to unveil the dark clouds that blinded her and deprived her from happiness for the past years?

"Sebastian, I have sinned."

"I know."

"Damaged, tainted, ruthless, barbaric and heartless. That is what a human is."

"Is that really what humans are only capable of?"

"Those other fleeting emotions mean nothing to me, I have strayed too far off."

"Of course. I will be the one who drag your damaged soul to the burning depths of hell."

"…I look _forward_ to that day…"

_The day where you and I can finally become one by devouring my soul, she whispered to herself._

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><p><strong>United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, 1888.<strong>

The social season has finally arrived in Great Britain. Aristocrats from all around the world were invited to London for many lavish social events; nobles mingled while adorned in the most fashionable jewelry and clothes, socialize over delicate French pastries and danced to the softest music in the immense grandiose ballroom with their finest shoes.

"Lady Gabrielle, it's a pleasure to meet you." Earl Herman Coleman approached the buffet table lined with delicate snacks. He proffered his hand for her to take. Countess Gabrielle Spencer smiled pleasantly, handing her satin glove clad hand. Herman bent over and landed a quick peck on her hand as a greeting. "You are growing more beautiful everyday."

"Always a charmer, Earl." Gabrielle chuckled softly, taking away her hand. Her blond curls were in a fashionable tumble, and gold ornaments shone at her wrists and fingers and kept her pleasant sweet smile, in hopes that the wealthy Herman would take a liking to her and decide to court her for marriage.

"Are you enjoying yourself, My Lady?" Herman smiled gently, stopping a nearby server and taking refreshments for the Gabrielle and him self. "The finest champagne from France."

Gabrielle gracefully nodded her head, accepting the drink offer. "Thank you. Certainly, this ball is wonderful. I am impressed. But then again, you are known to throw the most lavish and grandiose parties." The party was truly ostentatious and extravagant, from the regal decorations to the light snacks and vintage wines.

"You flatter me, Lady Gabrielle." Herman chuckled softly, bringing the champagne glass to his lips and taking a small sip. "That is a lovely gown you have on." He complimented smoothly.

"I am delighted to hear your praise." Gabrielle looked down on her own dress. It was a beautiful pale blue gown with a long line of bodices in the middle, incorporated with realistic flower trimming. Her skirt was bell shaped and large and she paired it with a lovely pair of satin white gloves. "You must be really popular, your guest are overflowing in the ballroom."

Herman grinned and pride swelled within him. He stood up taller and straighter at that compliment. Earl Herman Connor owned a successful trading company with Asia, and he was not one to hide his prosperous business. He flaunted his wealth and connections during this lavish parties, adorned him self in stunning jewelries and boasted about his riches to his envious friends. "Yes, I suppose so."

"Oh my, is that the young Countess Katherine Phanthomhive?!" Gabrielle gasped, looking towards the marble staircase where a young woman had just emerged. Herman cocked an eyebrow up and looked towards the direction where Gabrielle was staring.

She was absolutely flawless and extraordinarily beautiful, a young innocent Victorian beauty. With luscious stunning chocolate brown locks curled to frame her slim oval face with a fine bone structure, an ivory porcelain diamond complexion and almond-shaped, deep stunning sapphire eyes with thick dark lashes – Lady Katherine was breathtakingly stunning. The young Countess was no older than fifteen, yet she was famed for being the head of a famous household at that young inadequate age.

Dressed in a lavish emerald green gown, Katherine was accompanied by her chaperone befitting the position of standing beside her. He was equally as stunning as she was, with equal beauty and ambience. The man moved gracefully and elegantly. He had jet-black hair; uncanny blazing red eyes that looked like they were cherries set into the deep shadows below his brow and a well-tailored pressed suit to frame his tall well-built figure. His spotless skin was pale, almost to a point it looked glistening marble.

"I have never expect to see her here." Gabrielle gasped, her eyes wide with astonishment. Gabrielle was an acquaintance of the Phanthomhive family. She was introduced to Katherine's late father years back at a highly coveted social gathering. "The young Countess is famed for her recluse personality that rarely shows herself. Moreover, I heard that she hated the staunch social life." She gossiped to Earl Hermon.

Katherine gracefully strolled through the room, arm in arm with her chaperone escorting her. She approached the host of the party to give her greetings, and she gracefully curtsied to him. "Earl, I am thankful for your invitation."

Since Katherine status of Countess was equal to the title of an Earl, she was free to approach him without worrying about the rules of proper British etiquette. Noblemen and ladies around her gave out a short gasp, awhile some smiled nervously at the appearance of the infamous young teenager, but it was not the guest that Katherine was watching. The uneasy glance that passed between Herman and his business partner, Count Albert across the room lasted no more than a second, but she did not miss it. Then Herman dropped her gaze the petite young girl and smiled gently.

"It is my pleasure, Lady Katherine." He greeted her in a warm tone, Hermon hesitated to ask the young countess how the she had manage to obtain an the invitation to the exclusive party, but waved it off when he reasoned that the Phanthomhive was a renowned family name and it was fairly easy for them to obtain a mere invitation.

"This is my chaperone and also my butler, Sebastian Michealis." She introduced, her smile as bright and glorious as the sunshine. The butler beside her bowed politely, his black tailcoat proper and pressed to a point it had absolutely no creases.

"Greetings, Lady Katherine." Gabrielle curtsied. "You're a rare character to find at a occasion like this." She mused lightly, her eyes downcast to look at the petite young frame of 5'1".

Katherine smiled warily at Gabrielle before turning back to the Earl. "I would love to have a proper conversation later, Earl." She glanced over to the Herman left hand, the rings he wore were studded with glorious jewels and loud sparking diamonds embedded in a white gold band and smirked. "I be delighted if you would to tell me about your brilliant jewels collection, you see I am quite fascinated with diamonds. Some say it's that diamonds are a girl's best friend."

Gabrielle fumed silently beside the Earl at Katherine's indifference. Herman managed to break into an awkward smile. "Of course, Lady Katherine. Perhaps a dance later?"

"That will do, I am quite a fine dancer myself." Katherine glanced over to the dessert sections, displaying wide varieties of marzipans cakes, puddings and chocolates. "Oh, I see Turkish Delight there. Let's go Sebastian."

Katherine casually strolled to the dessert section with Sebastian loyally following behind he. Gabrielle's and Herman's piercing venomous gaze followed her as she passed them. "Brat." Gabrielle muttered a little too tad loudly.

"My Lady, that is improper of you." Herman glanced at her shockingly. "She is still a young child, pardon her manners. She has grown up without her parents."

"Sometimes I wonder how she manages The Funtom Company. Never mind to make it as prosperous enterprise as it is today, I am surprise that a child like that could even manage a company for a day." Gabrielle grumbled irritably with an expression of faint distaste. She was not pleased in the young Countess rude behavior. She couldn't imagine that this young rude girl was the famed character known to exhibit wise business acumen and impressive keenness in management affairs.

"It will crumble soon enough." Herman swirled the champagne within his glass out of habit, eyeing the young Countess from the corner of his eyes. Katherine was pointing out the desserts with sparkling gluttony eyes for her butler to take and already had her plates piled high with sweets.

_Lady Katherine was still a child after all,_ Herman mused to himself amusingly. He had thought too much of the infamous young head of the renowned household. It was unusual for a highborn woman to manage her own company, but it was even more unusual that a noble household head was a female. It was only because Katherine was the last descendent of the Phanthomhive family, so she had automatically inherited the titles, lands and deeds. But she wasn't much of a threat as Herman had thought of, sure she might have lacked manners and proper lady etiquette, but she was nevertheless still an innocent young girl; too young to carry the burdens of her titles.

With such sweet innocent doll-like looks, who could have imagined that Katherine was already the head of her household?

Suddenly, classical music flowed into the noisy ballroom signaling the dance of the dance. British gentlemen immediately requested the ladies for a dance awhile spectators encircled the dancing couples. Part of the social season biggest importance was to cement relationships for the future, some in terms of business awhile others undergoing a serious chase with marriage as the ultimate goal.

As promised, Herman strolled across the room, avoiding the dancing floor on the ballroom and proffered his hand out for the little Lady to take. Katherine smiled softly and accepted the dance offer, handing the plate of sweets over for Sebastian to hold.

Along the soft music from the band at the far corner, Herman led her towards the dance floor. Wearing her trusty heels to make her self seemed taller and more adult-like, Katherine's dress waved to the direction to which she leaned. She clasped her hands around Herman's elegantly and drawing attention to her doll-like features and to her long curls flowing down to her slender waist.

"You're a very graceful dancer, Lady Katherine." Herman complimented her as he led the steps. Her delicate steps were small, and elegant and seemed to have flowed naturally.

She was the complete harmonious concoction of grace, splendor, unsurpassed poise and beauty. Katherine only smiled softly at the compliment, tilting her face down almost as if she was ashamed of her talent. "I have a really good tutor, in fact, I love dancing so much so a point that I named my dances."

Herman cocked his eyebrow quizzically, before laughing out loudly. She was a still child after all, an immature child too young to attend these parties without her parents. "Yes, I name my dances sometimes as well." He jested, deciding to play along with her childish antics. Herman didn't want to burst the little lady's bubble and preferred to tease her.

"Would you like to know the name of my dance?"Katherine eyes were wide with anticipation and excitement; she seemed to be a child at that moment, and not the owner of one of Britain's famous and successful enterprise. Even Hermon found it puzzling to process in his head that this Lady was rumored to the brilliant businesswoman and the child genius.

Katherine roughly knew what Hermon was thinking and couldn't but let out a small smile. It was queer how sometimes a child's _innocent_ eyes can see things that grown men are blind to.

"Why not, little lady?" Herman entertained her, calling her fondly. They flow harmoniously in sync through the ballroom, Katherine's emerald green dress sweeping across the sparkling marble floor.

Katherine cool sapphire eyes appraised him, and Herman seemed to have been entranced by it as he stared deeper into her sparkling crystal eyes that seemed so mesmerizing. "I will tell you, if you promise not to let go of my hand."

It was an odd request, but Herman paid it no thought. It was nothing more than a request from a harmless innocent child after all. "Yes, My Lady. You have my word." He smiled, his fine lines at the corner of his eyes showing.

Katherine smirked playfully as she quickened up the pace of her steps. Herman was puzzled at the fast pace, but followed anyway thinking that Katherine was perhaps too young and energetic to fully appreciate the art behind ballroom dancing.

As they twirled around the ballroom, Herman suspicion sparked. Last that he remembered, the ballroom was crowded and packed with his honored guest. There was no way that they could have freely danced and glided over the dancing floor without knocking into anyone.

Just as the thought popped in his head, that was when the gruesome image flashed across his eyes. The crimson color of blood, he saw, and on top laid a lifeless woman. It was so sudden, as if the murder had just occurred in a snap that Herman thought he was actually hallucinating.

Then once more, he saw it again, another lifeless body dropping to the ground, a pool of blood that welled on the floor splattered when the he dropped. Could it be? Was he hallucinating? Herman wasn't sure if it was the dancing and alcohol that he had consumed that allowed him to have these vivid vision, but he was sure now; those were not visions.

"Ah!" Hermon gasped, jolting in revulsion, dread coiling in around his stomach. He felt his blood ran ice cold through his veins. He tried to let out of his dancing partner out of reflex, but Katherine only tightened her grip around him.

"Earl Hermon, are you really not going to honor your promise with a lady?" Her voice was different now, _sterner_, more _confident_, and more _powerful_. Horror flashed across his face when he saw Katherine's malicious expression, her large almond shape eyes narrowed down fiercely, and her plump lips curling into a dreadful malevolent smile that didn't match her delicate features at all. "Didn't you want to hear the name of my dance?" She taunted grimly, filled with sick amusement.

The Earl was horrified, his complexion had gone into a ghastly white, but he couldn't muster the strength in him to roughly push Katherine away or shake her hard grip even if she was much weaker than he is. He was blinded with the purest form of fear and anxiety. Somehow, he was terrified of the steel threading behind Katherine's words; it was a warning, no doubt.

"What's wrong Earl?" Katherine feigned concern, noticing that he was reluctant in moving and his posture had gone straight stiff. "Are you not having fun?" Hermon couldn't speak, his words seemed to have died on the back of his throat and he painfully swallowed. He was frightened of what he was seeing; frightened of what this little innocent lady might do and frightened above all else of the Countess's voice, that cold voice that was like a rapier dancing, beautiful and deadly and utterly merciless.

Then he heard it, the horrifying cries, the wailings inflicted under screeching pain - they were screaming as the brutal slaughter carried on_, _he heard bodies drop nosily onto the floor and he could even smell it. The smell of crimson iron filled blood was wafting in the air. It was so pungent. So much to a point that it felt all the oxygen had been sucked away from his body replaced by only the aroma of toxic blood. It was the scent of death and the sounds of the horrors going on in his ballroom; his senses only confirmed the dire situation he was in.

His scream froze in his throat. His muscles were frozen, too, held motionless by his terror—and by some nameless force. The temperature dropped and it was unusually chilly. He'd felt the wind, a cold gust that had blown out the candles on the buffet tables. Hermon would have sworn the doors and windows were shut.

Just as the hairs on his arms began to stand and Goosebumps started to form, he took a rough moment to look at his shoes, noticing the splattering sounds whenever he took a step. What he saw was enough to for his senses to come to a resounding halt; he was stepping in a pile of crimson thick blood. The once beautiful green material that Katherine wore glided over the red-stained floor, soaking up the scarlet blood.

As much as he wanted to freeze up in absolute fear, Herman fear one thing more than blood pool beneath his soles. It was a petite little lady of fifteen in front of him, looking as stoic and calm as ever amidst the chaos, like she was use to the sight. It was almost as if Katherine was so accustomed to the gruesome spectacle that she didn't even flinch anymore and remained indifferent, instead, she embraced and cherished the moments with the same blessed apathetic gaze.

The sceneries changed abruptly as Herman glided throughout the dancing floor, the once grandiose ostentatious decorated ballroom with just under a hundred guest was now painted into the ghastly color of malevolent crimson, changed into a picturesque massacre, and the once stunning white marble floor formed a pool of blood and corpses.

Finally, Katherine abruptly halted and released her grip on the Earl's hand. Hermon fell to ground, his stomach sick with horror and his knees weak with fear. He took a moment to observe his surroundings, chanting and praying that it was all a _dream_, a _hallucination_, or even a sick _thought_. But it was **reality**. The thin pool of blood welled beneath him from the drained corpses, the life source of his business partners, his friends, and his colleagues – his guests.

"W – what… have you done?" Hermon was shaking by this point, flabbergasted and beyond means and the reality of the events was still processing in his mind. It was too shocking, too revolting, and too sudden. It just under five minutes, how could someone massacre so silently, so skillfully, and so quickly? The sight his grandiose ballroom filled with socializing noblemen and ladies had suddenly turned into an appalling mass slaughter in a snap.

Katherine peered at him with a look of disdain. "My hunting dog just got hungry, and I forget to feed to him. So sorry about that." She smiled cheekily, her eyes turning crescents. "I was hoping to play a little more with you. It's regrettable that this game had to end so early, you see, I am very impatient. _Children_ are after all, very impatient."

She shrugged idly and sighed before lifting her gaze off the trembling appalled Earl and towards the mouth immense staircase where her faithful butler awaits. "Sebastian, take care of the whining dog, and where did you put my Turkish delight?"

"Yes, young mistress. I have specifically picked up the biggest pieces for you and place it on the table right there." Sebastian replied with a bright smile, looking as prim and proper as ever. "I suggest that you slow down on the sweets as we will be having dinner soon."

"Finally." Katherine cried softly, reverting her attention to her sweets on the unstained table and waving off Sebastian's concerns. She quickly prodded her way over, tugging her damp gown across the ballroom. The blood stained her marble on the floor, leaving a grisly trail of scarlet whenever she went. "_Ugh_." Katherine grunted, noticing that her favorite dress was heavier than usual and looked down to see it stained scarlet and soaked with blood. "Couldn't you do it a little more elegantly?"

"My apologies." Sebastian bowed his head down, his stone ruby eyes shimmering underneath the chandelier, a foreboding warning. Katherine rolled her eyes at his small apology and grunted.

"What the hell are you?!" Hermon's heart rate began to elevate immensely, as the approaching butler stood slow condensing strides towards him. He watched the indifference conversation between the butler and mistress with a pure look of stunned silence – how could anyone react like that in a horrifying time like this? He began crawling backwards, fearful for what was going to happen. _These people are not normal; they can't be normal._

"Me?" Sebastian chuckled curtly. "I am just one hell of a butler." He smirked coldly, enjoying every bit of the fear radiating from the human below him. Sebastian enjoyed the hunt, he loved seeing the prey writhe in agony and fear. He bowed his head closer to a trembling Hermon and his black pupils turned in to silts in his red eyes. "I thought it would be fun to see you looking that way a little bit longer, but young mistress's orders are absolute."

The hot pain shot up Hermon's lower back and twisted around his heart, he turned to the Katherine for a final plea for his life. "Lady Katherine, please! I will do anything you want! Let me live! Tell him to stop!"

His pleas were met with nothing but cheerful murmuring of Katherine as she picked up the sweet candy and popped it into her mouth, savoring the sweetness flowing on her palette.

"AHHH!" Hermon's screamed when he felt a firm grip at his leg. He turned quickly to meet with his wildest fears as the elegant inhumanly beautiful butler greeted him with a calm sophisticated smile with a touch of maliciousness added to it.

"Stay away! Let me go! You can't do this!" The Earl kicked and screamed, trying to loosen the tight grip on his leg, but it was futile. "ARGHHHH!" Hermon shouted in agony when the iron grip on his leg suddenly clenched down, piercing through his pants and skin and digging into the flesh like it was soft butter. The strength of the grip was barbarically strong, inhumane even; Hermon could feel his bones cracking under the weight. _How is this possible? _

"Thank you for your hospitality, the Young Mistress really enjoyed the ball." Sebastian grinned sardonically, his row of pearl white teeth in full view. Hermon's eyes widen to saucers when he saw the row of pearly white teeth; for there were two sharp un-human fangs protruding out of his upper gums. Sebastian found his fury, his striking ruby orbs turning into a glistening fuchsia and he came up snarling, pouncing onto the frozen fear-stricken Earl.

Katherine knew that the deed was done was she popped the last of the Turkish delight into her mouth and the room went eerily silent. Placing the empty plate back on ivory linens, she whipped back to where Hermon was and strolled across the room with an expressionless face.

She bent over towards the lifeless corpse, tightening her lips as she observed the wide appalled eyes of the deceased Earl as he took his final breaths. Sighing, she grabbed his hand and pulled five glorious sparkling gemstones and diamonds rings off his fat chubby fingers.

Lady Katherine threw the jewels rings to Sebastian standing idly by the side waiting for an order. He caught each ring skillfully. "Give them to the beggars or the pheasants, I will not have something touched by a useless pig." Katherine declared, staring apathetically at the corpse at her feet.

"But didn't we come for the stolen jewels, Young mistress?" Sebastian pointed out, looking at the blood stained rings in his soaked red-stained gloves. Blood sprayed out across the ballroom, as red as summer wine. "These aren't the only jewels that he had taken."

Katherine made a noise underneath her nose and crossed her arms across her budding chest. "True, the jewels from my mine, they are rightfully my property. This useless excuse of an Earl installed his workers in my mines and stole the jewels for his own usage and to sell them, thinking that I would be stupid enough to not notice, but I don't want them. I am just not happy with him having what belongs to me." She explained haughtily, snapping her fingers.

"He was foolish to think he could underestimate me, and he paid the price, with his life, all for a just few sacks of stupid jewels. He thought of me as inferior little young girl and hesitated to act first, and that hesitation caused his lost." She spat in acrimony and disgust. _Humans were always so greedy and lustful._

Sebastian smiled wickedly at his young mistress's words, admiring how very unique this human master was. She was one of a kind, a precious and rare soul. Katherine was so arrogant and shrewd for a fifteen-year old that it amazes him. Unyielding, strict and proud, stern on her orders especially in the assertion of her authority. So innocent, yet so stained. Sebastian loved the ironic element embedded in her.

A soft whimper flowed into her ears and Katherine curiously turned to the direction of the sound. Ruffling sounds were heard shortly after and upon further inspection, Katherine frowned when she came face to face with an alive tear-stricken Gabrielle hiding behind the tables.

"What is she doing here?" Katherine turned to Sebastian, who peered over her head and glanced at the frightened and shivering female. Sebastian was much taller than Katherine, almost towering her you could say, Katherine just barely reached his shoulders.

"You have ordered everyone directly related to the schemes placed the Funtom Company brought down, Lady Gabrielle was merely a invited guest to the exclusive event and had no relations to the Earl's scheme to bring down Phantomhive name, it appears that Earl Hermon wanted to court her." Sebastian explained, observing the trembling female looking as distressed as ever.

Katherine sighed, looking at the pitiful Lady Gabrielle. "Well, it is simply unfortunate that she was here. We can't risk any witnesses, so do as you please and make it quick. It has been a long time since you had a little snack as precious as this, be sure to enjoy it." Her lips turned into a smile when she saw the terror strike the Gabrielle's face.

"Please! I won't say anything!" Gabrielle cried and pleaded, but again was greeted with Katherine's indifference and apathetic expression. "I beg of you!"

"Burn the place." Katherine commanded swiftly towards Sebastian. "I will not let you off if you tarnish my dress once again." She berated her loyal butler and was met with a weak smile of understanding and a small bow.

They left the building, leaving behind a fantastic splendor display of raging fire, skillfully carried out in the art of arson. Fire started blazing all around, destroying the splendid giant mansion and reducing everything to smithereens. It's orange tongue flicked up into the high sky, licking the oxygen around. The building started to crumble slowly under the fearsome fire. Katherine curled up comfortably in the arms of her butler as he carried her out of the building. She sighed and closed her eyes, worn out and fatigued from her long trip.

Her carriage was nearby, pulled by two strong muscular black horses. Sebastian carefully placed his young mistress into the carriage and hopped on. Katherine was beginning to fall asleep, her eyes droopy and blurry from the smoke of the fire. She rested her head on the carriage door, the vibration from the rocky grounds transferring to the door.

"How long before we reach the manor?" Katherine inquired in a grim voice, bothered by her sticky gown and her grumbling stomach. She was fatigued and in need of sleep.

"Perhaps an hour?" Sebastian replied coolly, taking off his red-stained gloves and changing into a pair of fresh satin ones. He smiled at his young mistress, noticing her moving around uncomfortably in her seat. "I will have tea prepared and some snacks when we arrive, as well as a warm bath."

Sighing once more, she looked at her faithful butler calmly seated in front of him before averting her eyes away. "Oh, I had forgotten to tell him the name of his last dance. I do have to tendency to forget about it." She murmured bitterly, her face calm and devoid of any emotions.

"What have you named it young mistress?" Sebastian questioned, looking intrigued as he watched his fascinating young sweet thing in front of him. So young, so innocent, so fresh and doll-like, yet so tainted and scarred within, so capable of doing horrifying things in a blink of an eye. She was epitome of the phrase _"don't judge a book by its cover."_

"It's a little bit dramatic, really." Katherine replied idly, staring out into the lush evergreens that became the scenery from the carriage window. She enjoyed the beautiful bright colors that the dense forest brings. "But it really simplifies the roots and culture of the dance."

"Oh really?" Sebastian entertained her, tidying up himself with the creases on his tailcoat. He too was curious of what she named the dance.

"I call it…" Katherine's sapphire eyes moved from the evergreen landscape to the burning red eyes of her beloved butler. Her lips curled into a sadistic smirk and her butler's expression mirrored hers.

"The deathly dance of the loyal demon."


	2. Her Butler, Serving

"Lace it tighter." Katherine commanded as she stood in front of the full-length mirror. Mey Rin, her handmaiden and housemaid, was behind her, her trembling thin fingers on the laces of the corset. She began tugging on the laces tighter, the boning constricting and tightening around the waist.

"It this alright, young mistress?" Mey Rin asked, her young hazel eyes peeping over Katherine to gauge her mistress's expression. As usual, she was greeted by only a stoic expression from her fifteen year old mistress. Katherine moved her gaze to Mey Rin, a young wench of seventeen with hazel eyes that she kept hidden under a pair of thick frames and dark red hair.

Katherine looked at figure in the mirror, no; it wasn't enough, she still looked too young, too fragile, too sweet, too delectable. "Tighter, Mey Rin." She requested once more and Mey Rin looked at her perplexedly for a moment before obeying her commands.

There was a knock on the shining oak door and was answered by Mey Rin at Katherine's consent. Sebastian Michealis strolled right in, his jet black hair swaying as the wind from the opened window kissed his face. "Young Mistress, a telegram has arrived for you. Oh, pardon me."

He was just about to excuse himself when Katherine called out for him. "_Ah_, Sebastian. Just in time, do my laces." She requested, her face a complete mask of calm. "Mey Rin doesn't have the strength to get it tight enough."

Sebastian and Mey Rin said nothing, but just stared at each other wide-eyed at the request. It was unfathomable for a male to lace a women's corset if he wasn't her husband and would be deemed as a dishonorable act and would lessen the women's virtue but Katherine seemed to be indifferent from this fact. She didn't mind if Sebastian, a man, saw, not like he would do anything anyways. "Well? What are we waiting for? We are behind schedule aren't we?"

Mey Rin blushed wildly, bowed and headed out the door, closing the cherry oak wood behind her. Sebastian immediately took hold of the laces and began lacing them tightly. "Is it wise to ask such a favor from me in front of a servant?"

"Keep the unnecessary comments to yourself." Katherine stated nonchalantly, looking at her lifeless express in the mirror. She didn't care if no man was allowed to see a young lady like this, Katherine didn't care one bit – he was a demon after all and she was his mistress. She gasped softly when the laces pulled and the corset ribs tightened around her waist. "Do it as tight as possible, Sebastian."

"Do you have to restrict the corset so tightly?" Sebastian pointed out, but still obeyed her commands and laced it tightly. The heavy canvas corset reinforced with whalebone tightened further. Katherine had thrown away her teenage corsets long ago and adopted the adult more restrictive corsets. She needed to look older now and befitting of her high status.

"Just do as I say." Tight lacing was considered virtuous, and reflected on the women's status and virtue. Status or class within society was everything in the Victorian era. Members of high-society believed that clothing could be read like a book. Women were expected to maintain high societal standards, especially those of the upper classes. The higher up in class a lady was, the more confining her clothes were. "Who was the telegram from?"

"Lady Angelina Dalles." Sebastian replied, as he proceeded to dress Katherine in an extravagant off-shouldered dark blue day dress. He smooth the artsy drapes on her skirt, and proceeded to fetch her jewelries. "It appears that she would like for you to attend a dinner party she will be hosting on Friday."

"Madam Red?" Katherine echoed her aunt's fitting nickname title. "On such short notice?" Angelina Dalles or Aunt 'Anne' was her maternal aunt, the younger sister of her late mother, Rachel Phanthomhive. "Any particular reasons?"

Sebastian fastened her the claps of her necklace behind her neck, the shimmering sapphire ruby stones glowed in the sunlight. "She did not state one."

Katherine grunted, it was so like her Aunt to invite her over for dinner party over no reasons. Madam Red was always chiding her only niece on her reclusive solitary nature, which was unacceptable for young female teenagers her age.

"Katherine, would you like to attend Duke Gilbert ball this coming Saturday with your aunt?" Madam Red questioned sweetly over a plate of honey biscuits and scones stuffed with luscious cream and blackberry jam one glorious afternoon. Her striking scarlet hair the color of rubies was trimmed to her usual bob cut, her dress and lipstick also in the color of vivid crimson.

Katherine merely grimaced at her aunt, sipping on a steaming cup of tea. "Perhaps not, Aunt Anne. I would need to check my schedule." She was supposed to be in her office now sorting through papers, but her Aunt's sudden uninvited visit had placed a resounding halt on her day's schedules. Katherine would rather much be having her afternoon tea in her office rather than idling her day out in the garden.

"Katherine, you can't stay cooped up in your manor all the time. When was the last time you had made a social appearance? You're fifteen now and soon enough you will be having your coming out debut in society and deemed suitable for marriage." Madam Red was exasperated, no matter how many times she had persuaded her niece to attend the essential social gatherings of a noblemen, Katherine always had some excuse to avoid it.

A young female was usually under her mother's wing for the first few years of her social life, and was not obliged to have her own visiting cards but instead used her mother. After Katherine's mother died tragically, Madam Red, the social flower known to frequent many parties, had stepped up to the role as Katherine's chaperone as her blood relative, but the reclusive teenager always seemed to have preferred her butler sole company and burying her face in documents.

"Pardon my lady, but Lady Katherine has to see to some business matters regarding the new toy factory we are establishing in Austria." Sebastian politely pointed out beside her, refilling Madam Red's empty cup with steaming hot tea.

"Ah, Sebastian. Your tea is exquisite as ever, the aroma is splendid and the taste is refined and light." Madam Red complimented her niece's splendid efficient butler, not only was he an impressive tea brewer, but he was a skilled cook and master pastry chef as well. She picked up her fine white _Royal Doulton_ teacups and waved it underneath her nose to take the scent.

"It is Fortnum and Mason's Darjeeling Second Flush tea, My Lady." Sebastian smiled, his eyes turning into crescent.

"Aunt Anne, calm your worries. Sebastian will be my chaperone." Katherine softly said, praying that her Aunt wouldn't pursue the topic further.

"Seriously, Kate." Madam Red sighed, placing the antique teacup down on her saucer. "You should get married as soon as you come of age."

Katherine said nothing, staring the untouched scone on her plate. She knew what her aunt was implying, a heiress is not usually common and desirable in Great Britain, especially with a heiress carrying such a famous and distinguished family name. Usually the company or property was handed over to a distant male relative if there were no suitable male heirs. But seeing that her parents had left a will in her name, Katherine had inherited her family fortune.

It was odd and uncommon for noble women to work and run a company as women are much more preferred to be the mistress of the household and secure the happiness, comfort and well being of her family and instruct her servants; a much more preferred stress-free lifestyle. Awhile the women organize parties and dinners to bring prestige to her household, the male usually works.

Lady Angelina was worried that Katherine was over-working herself at such a young age, at first she was incapable of even thinking that her then, thirteen year old niece could successfully run the Funtom company and stand in as head of the family due to her age and inexperience. But Katherine surprised her in the prosperity and success she had bought to her household.

Still Madam Red didn't want Katherine to live such a stressful lifestyle. Katherine thought differently and even though she had received many requests of marriage from eligible bachelors even before her social debut as a woman, she had rejected every single one.

Katherine was sure that her Aunt Anne trying to get her into the social light once again, and she sighed deeply just as Sebastian had finished placing the day's jewelries on her ears and arms. He bought out a ring box and opened it, revealing a sparkling golden signet ring of great significance – an heirloom of the Phanthomhive household, formed with the crest of her family in the center.

Only the Earl Phanthomhive had the rights to wear this ring, and Katherine was granted this rights when she became the head of the household with the title of a female Earl, Countess.

_I am the head of the distinguished Phanthomhive household now. I am Countess Phanthomhive. _Katherine reminded herself once more, reaching out to touch the cool material and slipping it on her finger.

The ring shone on her finger next to another heirloom sapphire ring clasped on her thumb, the ring was too big for her slender fingers as the previous wearers were usually males. It was a ornate silver piece that holds a glorious emerald-cut deep blue sapphire stone. It was a one-of-a-kind family heirloom that had been passed down for generations and Katherine have never taken it off.

"What is the schedule for today?" Katherine questioned slipping through the door that Sebastian was holding out for her. She strolled down the hallway with her loyal butler trailing behind her.

"Today, you would need to assess the files send by the company, there are a few paperwork that requires your immediate attention and signature. I have already gone through the detail and calculated the costs and weigh out the advantages. After lunch, Professor Adrian will be tutoring you in the language of Latin and afterwards-"

"Fire him, I dislike his smug wrinkly face." Katherine interrupted in a monotone with a disdainful expression. "Bring in someone else."

Sebastian was startled for a moment but quickly converted into a small smile. "Of course, my lady. I will find a replacement." He said. This was the second Latin tutor that she dismissed. Katherine disliked everything about Professor Adrian, from his smug old wrinkled face to his scrawny gnome like figure and surprisingly black eyes. But what she disliked most was his attitude towards her, she could sense it, feel it, the judgmental stare whenever she got transcription wrong, he looked down on her.

Women were never properly educated and further education was only given to upper class males. The education system in Britain only focused on noble males and hardly women. Katherine was the head of her family now, and although it had given her the right to pursue higher education and other male-dominated arts such as hunting and riding horses astride (not sitting on side saddle like most _ladies_), it was an act that many people were not accustomed to and she was often look down upon and thought as inferior.

"After your language lessons, it will be violin study hour." Sebastian continued as they stepped into the dining hall where the shining silver table wear was already laid out.

Sebastian pulled out the dining chair and Katherine sat down. "Also, un-read letters have been piling up and requires your attention. Would you like to read them after your breakfast?"

Katherine grimaced and nodded grimly just as Sebastian had served her breakfast. "For today's breakfast menu, I have prepared black pudding, crispy back bacon, fluffy scrambled eggs and sour bread toast on the side. There is also sides of greens and tomatoes tossed in a herb vinaigrette and scones with jam."

He carefully placed the plates on the white linen tablecloth. The food immaculately arranged on the polished plates, each side cooked to perfection. The tantalizing smell of the hearty breakfast wafted into the room as soon as he took off the covers. "Please enjoy."

Just two minutes into Katherine's breakfast, the doors to the dining room burst open and Finny, Mey Rin and Bardroy came sprinting into the room, screaming on the top of their lungs and successfully disrupting the calm atmosphere. "MR. SEBASTITAN!"

Sebastian clicked his tongue and sighed, turning his attention to the screaming servants. "Please maintain your dignity. What is it now?" He sighed deeply once more, knowing that these idiotic, clumsy and bizarre servants probably screwed something up once again.

"THE – THE… WHAAA! I AM SORRY!" Finny burst into tears, rubbing his eyes. Mey Rin shivered beside him; afraid of what Sebastian was going to do awhile Bard seemed as indifferent as ever, chewing on an unlit cigarette clamped between his lips and his goggles hanging loosely around his neck.

Sighing, the butler rubbed his temples. Judging by Finny's and Mey Rin's reaction, something probably went wrong again. _This idiot trio… _He clapped his hand together for their attention. "Calm down, Bard what happened?"

Bard scratched the back of his head, darting his guilty glance somewhere else. "It's best if you see it for yourself." He replied softly. Finny and Mey Rin was already out of the door, terrified of Sebastian's reaction.

"Excuse me, my lady." Sebastian turned towards Katherine who munching on a scone quietly. "It would seem that the number of unnecessary jobs has increased again and requires my attention."

Not sparing a glance at her butler, Katherine waved him away. Bowing, he turned his back on her and proceeded to head aid the servants. She smiled vilely. The polished butter knife shimmering in her hands at a mischievous thought and threw it straight for her butler's head with all the force she could muster. Sebastian merely lifted two fingers up and caught it between his fingers mid air like a pair of chopsticks.

"Now, now, young mistress. It is rude to throw your utensils across the table like that, where have you tables manners gone?" Sebastian mocked, a crude smile playing on his lips. His red eyes glinting with mystery and cheekiness.

Making a sound with her lips, Katherine glared at him for a moment before concentrating back on her meal. Sebastian chuckled softly and left the dining room, following the sounds of the constant nervous servants chatters and Tanaka's distinctive laughter down the hallway.

"What… is this…?" Sebastian was appalled beyond means by the scene that had greeted him in the kitchen. Sure he was use to the idiots wrecking havoc throughout the manor everyday, but he had never seen this many _accidents _to be concentrated and concocted in a single room before. He had experience many idiotic and stupid humans in his lifetime, but these three were by far the most, reckless, dangerous and severely idiotic humans he had ever met. He felt a slight urge to commit murder.

"I am sorry, Sebastian!" Mey Rin and Finny cried out together when they saw him by the door. Bard grunted, folding his toned arms across his chest. "We just wanted to prepare the sweets for young mistress tea today!"

A vein popped in Sebastian's head, and his eyebrow twitched in dismay. He couldn't understand how humans, even when having no ill intentions could even screw things and turn it into an ultimate disaster. With a sarcastic smile with steel threading behind it, his eyes turned into crescent as he addressed the incompetent servants of Phanthomhive. "How… did things end up like this?"

"EEK!" The idiot trio shrieked, feeling the chills as a malevolent and malicious aura emitted from Sebastian's sarcastic smile. Tanaka, who was charred black from the smog and was relaxingly sipping on his hot tea by his side.

"Well…" Bard dragged his words and scratched his head and looked at a charred – black weapon across the room. "I baked a meat pie in the oven and I wanted to test the capability of some new babies I got shipped in… and the oven blew up when I over heated it…" He chuckled nervously and avoided eye contact.

"…" Sebastian stared blankly at the house's chef, appalled by the amount of stupidity streaming out from him. _That bulky weapon is not even cookware…_ But at least that explains why the kitchen was charred charcoal at every inch and why there was a hole through the roof where the oven once used to be. "I don't think you need that much fire power to bake a meat pie…"

"Nonsense! Cooking is an art! By using weapons and explosions, I can cook twice as fast than before! It is a skill that not anyone can master!" He ranted on, determined to prove his 'art of explosions using his culinary skills'.

_This ridiculous chef… _Sebastian sighed in his head._ I have heard your cooking rant before so why don't you just get cooking already? Whatever that comes out of the kitchen from your hands end up as 10% charcoal anyway, and you have certainly have not master your non-existent skills. Keep your artistic visions to yourself, and focus on creating something edible, if you don't its best if you became charcoal as well._ Sighing, and deciding to remain his composure in front of the human servants, he turned his attention to address the next problem.

"What about that large hole in the wall?" Sebastian pointed towards the end of the room, where an immense hole had appeared, leading to the garden outside. He knew that there was only one servant capable of creating a hole through the brick walls and moved his accusing gaze to him.

"WHAA! I am sorry!" Finny cried, charging towards Sebastian and clinging onto his double-breasted black tailcoat. "UWAHHH! MR SEBASTITAN! I AM REALLY VERY SORRY" He sobbed, his oval eyes glistening with tears.

_Honestly sometimes Finny acts like a complete child despite his age._ Sebastian groaned, with a dull expression. "If you're crying, I wouldn't be able to understand you."

"I - I was helping Bard with the dishes and I was so startled at the sudden explosion that out of reflex, I charged through the wall!"

_This… idiotic gardener… _Sebastian wanted to say while he stared at a sobbing Finny at his chest, but kept the words in his mind. _Some say that even death can't save an idiot so was am I even supposed to supervise one? How many times had I drilled into his head that he, the clumsy super-strength moron is not allowed the kitchen? Perhaps I should have literally drilled his head after all. _People think it must be fun to be a super genius demon, but they don't realize how hard it is to put up with all the idiots humans in the world.

He went forward to inspect the broken brick wall, when he kicked something on the ground. "Mey Rin…?" He groaned, when he realized that it was the broken porcelain tea sets. Sebastian bent over and picked up a broken piece with vivid scarlet roses on a crème background. "This is the Wedgewood's harlequin collection, young mistress favorite…"

"I am sorry Sebastian!" Mey Rin wailed, adjusting thick-circled frame glasses. Her pale complexion was starting to turn red. "I wanted clean the tea sets for young mistress's afternoon tea when I crashed the cart into the tea set shelf!"

Sebastian face with restrained and constricted, and he sighed deeply for the umpteen times this morning. He was trying very hard to hide his obvious annoyance. Sure he realized that the housemaid eyesight is terrible but he got the hunch that that's the problem here. _Honestly,_ _in order for such a large shelf to topple over like that, the impact had to been huge. What is this clumsy maid thinking when was she racing around the kitchen with that cart? I have heard that clumsy and incompetent woman emits a certain amount of charm, but it's unfathomable for me to think so. _Sebastian tightened his jaw and gave a tight-lipped smile, despite the boiling fury bubbling within him.

_I must stop socializing with these aliens. _Sebastian reminded himself, looking at the idiot trio in front of him amongst the complete disarray. "It can't be helped, it's my fault for not seeing to preparations earlier. Bard clean this place up, I will do something about the renovations later."

Honestly, he couldn't understand why the young mistress had even hired these morons. If things were up to him he would have confined these weird species in their rooms until they are needed. "Honestly, at such a busy time…" He grumbled awhile he threaded the hallways angrily.

"These are the letters that had arrived over the weekend." Sebastian placed a pile of un-opened letters in front of Katherine when he had finished clearing the tables.

Katherine placed down her teacup and made a distorted face when she glanced at the letters. "_Tch_, the people of England really have nothing better to do than to fill their boring lives hosting meaningless balls, courting and dancing. Nobles really don't have anything to do but gather every day and talk about irrelevant things and gossip. London's lifestyle is so dull."

She began tearing open the letters and scanning them briefly and tossing away the parties invitations. "Countess of Daldroy, Baron Clinton, Marquees of Headfort…" She chanted as Sebastian hurriedly noted down the rejected names on his notebook.

"You can't! Don't just-" Mey Rin's panicked voice along with heavy footsteps came filtering from the grand oak doors, catching Sebastian's attention.

"HEY COUNTESS KATHY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Lau hollered as slammed open the Victorian oak doors and strolled into the spacious dining hall. "Eh, I was aiming for your breakfast but you're already done with that?" He muttered dejectedly when he noticed the cleared plates by the cart.

"Lau!" Katherine stood up abruptly and dropped the letters, appalled by his sudden appearance early in the morning. "What are you doing here?"

"Hello, butler!" Lau greeted cheerfully, his silted half closed eyes and crescent like. He was dressed in his usual sumptuous Chinese traditional clothing and kept his hands hidden and clasped together in his overly long sleeves. "Could you bring me some breakfast?"

"LISTEN WHEN PEOPLE ARE TALKING!" Katherine berated, agitated at his eccentric personality. She sighed and slouched back to her cushioned chair. "Honestly, you're always so unannounced. I keep telling you, don't come busting in my manor whenever you like to visit. At least send a letter beforehand or something." She scorned when Lau merely chuckled.

"I will be back shortly with your share." Sebastian bowed to Lau and left the dining hall for the kitchen. Katherine sighed, placing her hands on her forehead when Lau took his seat beside her.

"Well? Why on earth are you here so early in the morning? Surely you didn't come here to leech breakfast off of me?" Katherine said coldly, turning to her Asian acquaintance by her side. She crossed her arms across her developing chest.

Lau tiled his head to the side slightly, his black short-cropped hair shining with Chinese hair oil "Hmm, I have some information that might surprise you." He stated, smiling slyly as Katherine looked up from her letters, catching onto the hidden meaning behind his words.

"Excuse me, Master Lau. Your breakfast." Sebastian came bustling in from the doors and proceeded to place a plate of food in front of him. "I apologize for the wait."

Lau was impressed as always. "Wow, your butler never fails to amaze me Countess." He clapped his hands approvingly at the splendid meal set up in front of him in an efficient manner. "Sebastian has once again proved his talents."

Katherine scoffed smugly, a vile smile on her face. "_Heh_, talented? You overpraise him. He's just doing his job as one of my subordinates." She glanced at the polished and prim butler standing beside her with a cloth draped on his arms and smirked. "After all, a pawn should just follow its master's orders as it befits a pawn."

"_Ah_ as usual, the lovely countess is so strict and unforgiving." Lau declared loudly, his silted eyes opening widely to stare at her. He moved his dark brown orbs to meet the butler vivid scarlet ones. He laughed softly. "Say butler, would you like to work for me instead? Even if I looked all over England and Asia, I wouldn't find such talent."

"You praise me, but my service specifically extends to the young mistress only." Sebastian bowed, his smooth voice like velvet.

Katherine narrowed her eyes. "Of course you wouldn't find someone like him. But that is not the only reason why I hired him." She sipped on the steaming hot tea placed in front of her. "His desserts are absolutely _sinful_." The sweets that Sebastian makes are finely made exquisite works. Even Katherine with her refined taste buds, will definitely put her trust into it.

Sebastian smirked softly, exchanging a mutual glance embedded with a hidden meaning with his mistress. Lau chuckled; amused by the amount of devotion the butler has for his owner. "I guess when you're someone like the Countess, not anyone would do as her butler." He shrugged.

"With that aside, would you explain to me why you intruded my manor at such an hour?" Katherine wanted to get back on track so that she could send the nuisance away quickly. "Or are you really here to mooch breakfast and throw sickening sweet compliments at my butler?"

"Ah, the beautiful Countess is so cold." Lau shrugged idly, he was use to the ruthless and aloof demeanor of the young Countess Phanthomhive. "Well, it appears that a large number of things has been reported missing around the Welsh Back that you have put me in charge of."

Katherine tore the wax off the next letter in front of her. "Sadly, I don't have much of an interest for missing or lost things. It's their fault that they can't hide their goods well." She stated nonchalantly, her vivid blue apathetic eyes moving along with the words as she read the letter's content.

"Well, I am sure that if you knew what went missing, you wouldn't say that." Lau teased the Countess by beating around the bush. He was sure that this information was sure to intrigue her and he was having so much fun just dangling the piece of information in front of her. He jabbed the black pudding with his fork and popped it in his awaiting mouth.

But Katherine wasn't to grant him the satisfaction of finding amusement from her. She pursed her lips, dumping the letter she was reading to the rejected pile and grabbing a new letter "What? Drugs?" Katherine replied distractedly.

"No, people." Lau finally said, and Katherine immediately snapped her head up to face him. Their eyes deadlocked like two attracting magnets.

"Civilians?" Katherine questioned in a firm voice.

Lau chewed on a piece of bacon and sipped on his steaming tea. "No. Foreign illegal slaves."

Katherine frowned sharply, resting her chin in her hands casually. "So what? Many foreign slaves would escape the first chance they get. They won't last long in a foreign country to cause enough havoc, so let it be." She was appalled that Lau would come all the way here to report of something this minor, he should have been able to take of it himself.

"Oh, but this is different. The amounts of the missing slaves are unusually high." Lau stated. "I highly doubt that this is a case of missing slaves and the weird thing is, the only ones disappearing are women and female children."

"Only female?" Sebastian echoed, rubbing his chin with his satin white glove clad fingers. "That is certainly very odd, seeing the circumstances, the males should have a higher chance of escape. Also the high numbers are very odd indeed."

"We should be focusing on the numbers here." Lau pointed out, biting off a piece of bread. "I am sure you have seen the security at the Welsh Back underground society."

"So in other words, you are saying that it is nearly impossible for that amount of slaves to escape security…" Sebastian skillfully concluded. "And their escape could only mean that someone in the under ground is deliberately helping them?"

Lau nodded his head briefly. Sebastian had never once failed to impression Lau with his quick thinking. "But the problem is. The owners were enraged when they found out about the missing female slaves."

"Which could only mean that something is betraying their employers." Sebastian added on, his expression intrigued.

"What do they need so many slaves for?" Katherine bitterly spat, her calm face curdling up in distaste like sour milk. She threw another letter to the piling rejecting pile. "It doesn't matter as long as it does not leak the secrets of the hidden underground towards the surface world."

"Not really that I care what happens to the slaves." Lau shrugged and forked a piece of bacon. "But, from what I heard it's not only the female illegal slaves that have gone missing. There have been reports on missing children in the east end as well."

Katherine expression changed, displaying a mask of astonishment and surprise. She shot a glance at her butler and the both locked gazes, exchanging a mutual understanding. "What a nuisance..." She muttered out loud, grabbing the next letter.

"This is…" Katherine frowned deeply when she saw the crest embedded into the red wax on the white envelope she was holding. Lau and Sebastian peeked over the young countess and smirked when they saw the familiar royal crest.

"Well, it looks like word has already reached the higher ups." Lau chuckled amusingly, placing his silver utensils back on the plate. "What are you going to do Countess? Are you really going to ignore this _nuisance_?" He teased.

"Sebastian." Katherine rested the letter back on the table, already knowing its contents. "Prepare my carriage and pack the bags for London."

"Yes, my lady." Sebastian obliged, immediately understanding his young mistress's intentions.

Lau laughed wildly, grinning like an entertained wolf as he glazed his hazel orbs at her. "Well, it's looks like I wouldn't be riding a lonely carriage back to London after all. " He mused, leaning back on the cushioned chair. "You can't really ignore the fine diamond collar placed on you can you? Awhile it might look beautiful and bring you many envious glances at your wealth, it's a rather heavy and burdensome thing."

"Keep your comments to yourself." Katherine coolly shot down his threading insults and held her hand out for Sebastian to support her up. She fixed the creases on her long blue dress and shot an irate glare at the manager of the Chinese foreign trade. "Before I leave you to rot in this dog house." She warned before turning her heel and headed for her office.

"I hope that collar chokes you one day. Otherwise it won't be interesting anymore." Lau laughed smoothly, a hint of jest in his words. Yet, at the same time, one couldn't tell if he was possibly joking or he meant what he said.

Katherine narrowed her eyes down and smirked, looking as petite and innocent yet beautifully vicious beside her red-eyed mysterious butler clad in black. "If you would live to see it, that is. So sit back silently and be entertained awhile you can."

Lau merely chuckled when the Countess left. He sighed and stretched his arms. "Well, this would be very interesting indeed." He stood up and folded his arms inside his long Chinese embodied sleeves and headed towards the immense window.

The glittering sun rays fell on his face and warmed it. "Now that the queen's **watchdog** has been dispatched." He shot his glance back at untouched letter on the table and smirked.


	3. Her Butler, Advancing

Thank you so much for your support! It's truly is appreciated! A big thank you for following & clicking favorite for my fanfiction! Forgive me if i had any grammatical errors, I am a novice writer. :3 I hope my chapters aren't too long for you.

Thank you, shifterofthedark, mandylou18, Petalclaw's PatriceBethPorter, Hauntinghowls, for following/favorite. Also to the reviewers!

_Mrs. Vendetta_: Thank you very much, my first reviewer! I hope you enjoy the new update. I am glad that you liked Katherine. _Bettinah_: Thank you for your kind review and compliments! Hope you enjoy the update. Skc892: Thank you for your review! Enjoy the update! Hauntinghowls: Thank you for your review! i hope you enjoy the update just as much as i enjoyed typing it.

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><p>Fred Aberline glanced at the documents on his desk, ruffling his shaggy, auburn hair irritably as he cracked his brains trying to put together the hints and clues of his new assignment. It had been a long dream of his to join the Scotland Yard, but his first real assignment was proven to be more of a challenge than he had anticipated.<p>

"Disappearing women and young girls…" Aberline mumbled out loudly, tapping his ink pen on his forehead. "…Noblewomen, young ladies, and even maid servants… So the kidnappers intentions aren't for using them as hostages for ransom… " He concluded briefly and sighed deeply, throwing his pen on the desk and watching it bounce. "_Gods_, there is no way we can derive something from these meager conclusions."

Aberline didn't want to disappoint his superior and partner, commissioner _Lord_ Arthur Randall on his very first big assignment. He sighed deeply once more and slouched back on his chair at his cubicle, but there was just no way that they come up with a suspect list with these little clues. It seems that the kidnapper was a very sly and careful one, almost leaving no traces.

_"__You still haven't apprehended the culprit yet Aberline?!"_ He could almost hear his superior police commissioner shouting at him angrily. Luckily for him, Randall was busy at the moment sorting up some business and he was left alone in the main office.

Up till now, piling cases of disappearing women was starting to heavily burden Scotland Yard. In truth, they didn't even know the first place to start or even had a narrowed down list of the suspected culprits. The cases had been going on for a month, starting with an occasional one or two women disappearing, then as the days passed, the number increased and there was no doubt now that the cases were linked somehow.

He felt the cool crisp wind flow into the room when the Scotland Yard's office doors swung opened with a loud bang. Aberline snapped his head to the doors and squinted his eyes as the bright late afternoon sun ray beamed into the dark badly lit office, a shadow of a figure was at the doors, but Aberline couldn't make out it's identity due to the bright sun rays obstructing his vision.

He heard the clicking of sharp heels on the wooden floors and blinked vaguely when the shadows became to shape it self. _A child?_ A young girl stood by the entrance of the Scotland Yard office; her doll-like traits intrigued Aberline as she idly strolled deep into the room, flawless and elegant in her fluid small steps.

The girl was of noble birth no doubt, Aberline could tell with just one look. She was dressed delicate dark blue dress with black stripes, black and white trimmings and a ruffled skirt that ended around her calf-length. A black large ribbon wrapped around her waist framed her petite figure perfectly. She completed her outfit with a matching small hat and a black netting covering one of her sapphire eyes.

A sparkling sapphire choker necklace clung onto her thin neck gleamed when she caught the stunned gaze of Aberline. She held out her matching dark blue and black striped parasol for her companion to take, a butler in a fine double-breasted expensive black coat.

Aberline found his visitor fascinating at first glance, not only with her supreme beauty, but the apathetic stoic expression that she maintained, as cold as frostbite ice yet it held a certain glint of maliciousness to it. It was certainly not an expression that Aberline would expect to find on a sweet young girl like this.

He stood up and smiled, "Hello, little Lady, is something wrong? Are you lost?" Aberline inquired in a warm voice so as to not scare away the young fragile child. "Do you know where you are at? This is Scotland Yard. We can contact your parents for you if you like."

Katherine face was off a cool bronze statue when she addressed Aberline curtly. "The only thing I would like you to do is to show me the files of the recent cases of the disappearing ladies." She forced herself to keep her composure, usually she would get agitated if someone were to talk to her like she was a little child, but Katherine reasoned that Aberline was a new face at Scotland Yard.

She was after all, the head of the distinguished household, she pride to uphold so as to not disgrace the Phantomhive name. It was expected to of her to invest in styles and dignity that represent her title. Katherine was upset at the officer for ruining her dignity and presence as the head of the house of Earls.

"Eh?" Aberline was appalled, his wide astonished eyes blinking in confusion. He couldn't comprehend what she was saying. It just didn't make sense. "What on earth are you talking about?"

She sighed, placing a frail hand on her forehead. "I will help myself, Sebastian lets go." Katherine merely stated and Sebastian nodded in understanding. They pushed their way through the office swinging half-door and walked towards the back office where all the files were kept.

"W – Wait!" Aberline shouted, racing towards the back office door before the intruders could enter. He held Katherine back by her shoulders. "You can't just walk in there and demand for files! This is a restricted private area, only reserved for the members of Scotland Yard!"

A loud smack was heard when Sebastian roughly slapped away Aberline's hand from Katherine's shoulders and spoke in threatening cold voice that contradicts his warm crescent-eye smile. "I would refrain from touching the Young Mistress so easily."

"Sebastian enough." Katherine pursed her lips and sighed, nodding her head in a gesture. Sebastian nodded his head in obedience and grasped the flabbergasted officer hands. The demon smiled and slyly placed a few coins in his palms. "Your cooperation."

Aberline alarmed and appalled when he felt the cool metal on his palms and threw the bribe money on the floor. He couldn't believe that this young little girl had just tried to bribe him, but Aberline valued his righteous and pride as a police officer more than to succumb to the tempting bribes. "What are you doing?! This isn't a place for little girls and boys to come to! Hurry along back home!" He screamed, flustered.

"Aberline!" Lord Arthur Randall's strong harsh voice boomed in the dim room and halted Aberline from saying any more. He traveled down the wooden stairs and frowned deeply when he saw young Katherine and her butler. "Countess Phantomhive, what are you doing here?"

Katherine chuckled. "Here to clean up the mess that some dawdling inadequate brats made." She held out her hand and Sebastian placed a white envelope in her palms. She held it up for the commissioner to see, the brick red wax embedded with a royal stamp popped up in contrast from the white envelope.

Katherine smirked when Randall scorned in disgust. "How did you let things get so out of hand, Sir Arthur Randall?" She spoke in voice like velvet.

"Is she an acquaintance of yours?" Aberline questioned, lost from the sudden turn of events but was silence when his superior held out a hand to stop him from asking anymore.

Sebastian interrupted. "Young Mistress, I found the files you were looking for." He handed Katherine a stack of papers that Randall were going through just minutes ago on his office table.

"Hey! Don't just take those!" Aberline charged forward, ready to snatch the private documents from the child's grasp when Randall held him back abruptly. Aberline was shocked when he saw the scorn displayed on his superior face. _Why didn't he stop her?_

Katherine eyes scanned through the small stacks of papers. "Just as I expected, no significant leads yet…" She mocked softly and averted her eyes to meet the fury orbs of Randall's. "Have you memorized the documents yet Sebastian?"

Sebastian nodded briefly. Randall grabbed the papers from Katherine's thin fingers. "Don't stick your nose in where it isn't wanted, Scotland Yard is taking care of this incident." He warned in a voice as rough as sandpaper.

Katherine lips curled up at its sides with cheekiness. "Of course, I suppose it will take forever for you slacking fools to do so. But it's fine by me." Katherine blinked sweetly when she heard Randall make an angry sound with his nose. "Let's go, Sebastian."

"Yes." Sebastian said. He opened her small parasol and handed it to her when they were out of the door, leaving a fuming Randall and a gaping stunned rookie officer behind.

Katherine was feeling moody when they arrived at her awaiting carriage. She breathed out heavily in exhaustion, "God, London is always so crowded. It might be the social season, but this is getting relatively annoying."

"It can't be helped." Sebastian said, taking his seat beside her. The carriage went forward to their next destination. "Everyone is migrating from their country manors to their town houses for the season."

"Best that we solve this case fast, I want to go back to the manor as soon as possible" Katherine said, looking out of the carriage window aimlessly. The glorious orange sun was fast setting on the far horizon. She hated London and much preferred the isolated and serene lifestyle of her countryside manor. "Hopefully, Lau would have obtained more information than those dawdling useless hunting dogs."

She was annoyed that she had made an unfruitful trip to the Scotland Yard. But at least Sebastian had managed to steal a copied reported list of missing civilians along with their photos from Aberline's table sneakily when the officers were too caught up. Still the meager information wasn't about to get her anywhere done in this case.

"In the mean time, why not enjoy yourself? Hadn't it been quite some time since you last left the manor?" Sebastian said.

Katherine scoffed, looking at the pool of English men and women by the sidewalks. "I hate going to crowded places, everyone is obstructing me with their idles chats and fake smiles. Everywhere you look at London all you see are carefree slackers."

"A change would be good, those four are following us." Sebastian was delighted when they were left without the troublesome servants. Giving servant orders is also part of a butler's job, but because of the servants making consistent unexpected mistakes causing him to pick up after them, Sebastian thinks that his job would go smoother if he just did everything by himself. "Wouldn't it be much quieter?"

Katherine replied in a small grimace. Not that it really bothered her, but she just didn't like the fact that it pleased her demon butler. "Maybe I should bring them to annoy and burden you next time." She snorted.

"As you wish." Sebastian smiled briefly. She scoffed beside him, murmuring something incoherent underneath her breath.

Soon after, they reached the Phantomhive's town house in central London and their carriage pulled up into a halt. Taking Sebastian's proffered hand, she stepped down the jet-black carriage and entered her town house. She handed her parasol to Sebastian to take and store away.

"How tiresome." She sighed walking towards the drawing room. "_Tsk_. Those old pathetic excuse of an officers couldn't handle a simple case of kidnapping and I have to come all the way out to London because of their incompetence. There will be no end to this if they don't start showing some development. Now we just have to wait for Lau's news on his side."

"Well, you can't help but bark whenever your master calls for you. Isn't this the part of being a pitiful watchdog?" Sebastian grinned beside him sarcastically when Katherine shot him a hateful glowering look. He clapped his hands and smiled brightly. "Well now, I am sure you must to tired. I will start the preparations for tea immediately."

"_Tch_, fair enough." Katherine replied haughtily, pursing her lips. "Get some fruits and make a fruit-infused black tea."

"Certainly, please wait in the drawing room awhile I make the preparations." Sebastian smiled handsomely, turning the golden knob to the drawing room.

"Faster Lau, are you always this weak handed?" Madam Red barked at Lau who was holding a large feather fan and fanning her awhile she sat idly in her chair. Ran Mao, Lau's personal assassin and lap girl, was peeking curiously at a vase by the side. Madam Red sighed. "When is Kathy getting back?"

Katherine froze in surprise; she could feel the jackhammers threatening to pound her brain once again. She started to miss her peaceful manor, though there wasn't much of an improvement because of her noisy clumsy servants. Sebastian hid his obvious annoyance, all hope for some peace and quiet disappearing into smoke.

"MADAM RED! LAU!" Katherine hollered at the uninvited guests. "What are you doing here?!"

Madam Red and Lau froze in their position in stunned silence. "Oh, she's back already." Lau said just above a whisper.

"KATHY! Oh, how can I not visit my beloved niece when I heard you were coming to London?! Why didn't you tell me?" Madam Red pounced towards her only niece and enveloped her in a suffocating hug. Her large chest pressed into Katherine's face awhile the young countess tried to desperately slither out of her choking grasp.

"_Gah_!" Katherine breathed loudly when she finally managed to get away from her aunt's grasp. "How did you know I was coming to London?" She was sure that she had specifically informed Sebastian to avoid this news spreading to her aunt's ears for fear this would happen.

"Lau informed me!" Madam Red laughed light-heartily before she smirked at her niece. "Well since you're in London, it must have mean that the Queen's guard dog is on the move right?"

"_Tsk_." Katherine angled their self away from her Aunt's touch. She turned to her Chinese partner relaxing by the couch. "Lau why are you here so early? Didn't I drop you off at Welsh black this morning? Have you already obtained the information about that incident?"

"_Eh_?" Lau looked perplex when Katherine spoke, tilting his head by the side. "What information were you looking for in the first place? What exactly is '_that'_ incident?"

"You looked like you knew what was going on this whole morning!" Katherine screamed at a chuckling Lau, angered and appalled that she had fallen for his tricks once more. "You were pretending again weren't you?!"

Sebastian smiled awkwardly at Lau's peculiar tendency to say or act like he is aware or is well informed of something important beforehand, only later to reveal that he actually does not. _'Typical of a yes-man' _the demon would say.

"_Haha_! But what exactly is that incident you are referring to?" Lau talked indifferently, keeping his hands clasped calmly his overly long Chinese oriental sleeves. He looked over to his _'sister'_ and cooed. "Do you know anything Ran Mao?"

Ran Mao merely tilted her head and shrugged, not saying a word. She was as emotionless and taciturn as ever, and she hardly ever engages in a conversation. The golden tassel on her left bun swayed.

Katherine face palmed at ridiculous situation. She couldn't believe that she allowed this much time to be wasted. She mumbled to her self irritably, "What was I thinking assigning task to idiots…"

Sebastian flashed his usual butler smile, placing his glove-clad hand on his chest. "Since we have guest, I will prepare tea and snacks immediately. We had no idea guests were coming, I apologize for not accommodating you earlier." He bowed and excused himself.

So, Lady Katherine had to go back and explain from the start much to her annoyance. Katherine settled down to her nearby cushioned chair and explained her assignment to her incompetent partners. Just as she finished, Sebastian arrived back to the drawing room with the afternoon tea.

"Today's tea is a tangerine infused Ceylon tea from Dimbulla, along with that I have prepared a lemon meringue pie and strawberry macroons to compliment the fresh citrus aspect of the tea." He stated, placing the perfectly brushed up silverware before steeping the fragnant fruit tea.

"What a unique way of steeping, the aroma is very fragrant." Madam red complimented as she picked up her cup of steaming tea and took in the aroma. Lady Katherine coughed loudly to get her guest's attention.

Katherine forked her pie, placing a generous spoonful in her mouth. "Now that we have settled down, let's get back on topic now…" She bit on the silver fork after she swallowed. "It seems that the kidnappers have been very active lately, though it is not uncommon to have kidnapping cases, the numbers this time are abnormal."

"You mean the series of missing women that's been on the news? I have heard of it." Madam Red replied, resting her hands on the armrest. "The numbers have been on a up rise lately from what I have heard."

"What are you planning to do, Countess?" Lau said when Ran Mao fed him a piece of macaroon.

Katherine tightened her jaw. "I believe this isn't such an ordinary case. I have reason to suspect the missing female slaves at Welsh Black are linked to the kidnappings." The envelope with the royal wax stamp furrowed underneath her clutch. "Her majesty is distress and extremely cncern over the situation."

"It seems to me that they are mass collecting prisoners. But why and who?" Katherine continued, sipping onto her perfectly steeped aromatic fruity tea placed in front of her by Sebestitan.

"What do you mean?" Lau inquired.

"According to files that we have obtained from Scotland Yard, it doesn't seem to be a ransom kidnapping case since even maid servants were reportedly as kidnapped." Sebastitan replied for Katherine. "Also, there hasn't been a case where the missing corpses have been found."

"I don't know if the corpses have been handled in the underground society though, I have yet to check with _him_." Katherine shuddered slightly when she thought about weird and creepy Undertaker and his bizarre habit of requesting _'the best laughs'_ in return for information. "Those inefficient police officers can't even draw up a black list."

"My, my…" Lau stood up and approached Katherine. He laid a hand on her head and leaned closer. "It seems to me that you have to be careful on this case, you are a still _lady_ after all." Katherine slapped away his hand in one fluid motion and continued to sip on her tea in irritance.

"Lau! Are you saying that my precious sweet niece is going to get kidnapped?!" Madam Red fumed in her chair and pointed an accusing finger to a calm Lau. "And why are you laying a hand on my precious niece!"

"I am not saying that it will happen, I am just saying that it might." Lau shrugged carelessly, heading back to his seat and pulling Ran Mao to his lap.

Madam Red stood up abruptly, balling her fist at Lau. "Are you trying to jinx my beloved niece? Stop these indecent acts in front of her! You will sully her innocence!" She glared at Lau who was happily drinking his tea with Ran Mao sitting on his lap.

"_Katherineeee_!" An overly active voice flowed into the room just as the doors to the drawing room swung open. The foreign Indian prince Soma and his butler, Agni hopped into the room like two freeloading hyper balls. Soma threw his hands in the air in a cheery manner. "You didn't tell me you were coming! Are your plans over for the day?"

Katherine face palmed, sighing deeply before standing up. She had forgotten all about hosting them in her townhouse. She was having a headache with all these noises. Lady Katherine sighed once more in exhaustion when Madam Red angered voice ringed in her ears.

Her headache grew bigger as Soma started blabbering nonsense about his day. She knew it was a wrong regrettable choice to invite him to stay as the governess in her town house. Now she was inconvenienced.

"Young Mistress?" Sebastian noticed Katherine standing up when the commotion happening in the room started to grow louder.

"See to the guest's needs. I will be retiring back early to my chambers." Katherine spoke softly, rubbing her temples with her fingers.

"Katherine! Let's play the card game that you taught me that day!" Soma cheery voice sang behind her the same time she spoke to Sebastian, trailing her as she started to proceed out of the room.

The young countess brushed him off, walking straight for the door and ignoring him. Soma, as usual with his overly optimistic personality didn't give up. "What's up with the sour look, kids your age should have fun!" He declared, trailing after the retreating Katherine.

"Shut up!" Katherine finally gave in to irritation and snapped. Soma flinched at her sudden outburst, and even the bickering Madam Red and Lau grew silent "I am busy right now, so just shut up!"

She sighed once more when she noticed she had created a commotion, kneading her forehead with her fingers. Katherine looked over to her emotionless butler. "I am retiring, I have enough socializing. Prepare my bath and help me out of this heavy drapes." She muttered bitterly.

"As you wish." Sebastian obediently replied, bowing slightly in a butler fashion.

"W – wait!" Madam Red suddenly called out, her face contorted with shock. "Don't tell me that Sebastian helps you with those chores as well!"

"You don't see another servant here do you?" Katherine replied simply without another care. She was quick enough to leave the room before her gaping aunt could reprimand her on the '_aspect of being a proper refined lady'_. Katherine had enough of her aunt's antics for one day.

Finally, she was back at her quiet room. Free from all the eccentric Lau, the gossipy and chatty Madam Red and the idiotic freeloading pair of Indians she knew that she should have never housed. She breathed out heavily, removing her sapphire necklace from her neck and her rings from her fingers. The thought of a good long soak and a breezy dressing gown and a nightdress delighted her.

She heard the door lock click behind her and she tossed the jewelry to her awaiting butler. "You're late."

"My apologies, I was receiving a reprimand from Madam Red." He bowed his head and placed her dazzling jewelries back into a jewelry case. He walked over to her dresser to retrieve her dressing gown.

Katherine sat on her immense feather bed. "How is it? Have you noticed anything peculiar in the case so far?" She looked at her back where Sebastian was choosing her nightgown.

"With just a list of the missing, I have yet to fully analyze the situation." Sebastian placed the fabrics beside the bed and helped Katherine up. He proceeded to remove the outer dress skillfully, untying the knots on her back.

Katherine scoffed in distaste. "We were suppose to have more information regarding the underground route, but Lau just have to mess things up again." She shrugged out of her heavy blue dress with the help of Sebastian. "It is unfathomable to me how he doesn't find it weird that we dropped him off at Welsh black if he had no clue what was happening."

Sebastian began to undo her tight corset strings, loosening the tight constricting bone around her waist. She instantly felt relaxed once it loosened. Once he was done, Sebastian covered her with a bathrobe and led Katherine to the grandiose bathroom where a hot steaming bath with fragrant oils has already been prepared. Wisp of steam floated invitingly above the white soap bubbles.

"Sebastian." Katherine called out in a stern, powerful and authoritative voice, deadlocking her sapphire eyes with her demon butler's maroon ones. "This is an order, head down to Welsh black and obtain any usable information related to the kidnapping cases. I want a black list as soon as possible."

Sebastian smirked demonically, tilting his head down as he bowed in obedience. "Yes, my lady."

Katherine shook the heavy satin cotton bathrobe off and threw it on the floor, before submerging herself in the hot steaming water. She played with the bubbles for a brief moment - as much as he hated to admit it to her annoyance of her smirking and snickering butler, she loved playing with bubbles. Sebastian seemed to have noticed and since then had always ensure her bathtub was filled with soap bubbles as childish as it might sound.

Lady Katherine closed her eyes and relaxed, the scalding hot water raising the temperature off her skin. She liked it this way, burning and raging, she felt liberated and purged from the high temperature. Katherine felt the cold wind breeze for a brief moment, before it stopped for abruptly along with a soft bang from the window shutters.

When she opened her eyes, her demon butler was nowhere to be seen. She smirked in approval, closing her eyes once more and allowing herself to fully relax, giving herself up to the clutches of tranquil the hot water bestowed upon her. Katherine knew she could trust her and rely on demon butler; he wasn't as unreliable, irresponsible and incompetent as Lau or any other pathetic humans in the world.

That is because Sebastian, her _demon,_ never ever **lies**.


	4. Her Butler, Detective

**Thank you, NamikazeMia and FiaaaVIP for the favorite and following :3**

**Mrs Vendetta : Thanks for the review. Yes there is! In the chapter, haha! I have been concentrating too much on Katherine that i forget about Sebas. Hauntinghowls: Thank you for the review, I am glad you enjoyed the chapter. Guest: Hi, there! Thanks for the review, i am very glad that you gave my fan fiction a shot!**

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><p>For a young child of fifteen, Katherine Phantomhive was considered a ruthless business genius, Countess of a respectable family of Earls, the much detestable evil nobleman and the watchdog of the Queen. But Katherine had never once despised her titles that come with such immense burden.<p>

Though, it was not a lie to say that the sensation of her burdens was agonizing.

What she felt was pain in its most rawest, threatening and ruthless form; excruciating, burning, and ravaging pain. However, despite that, Katherine never hated the pain.

In fact, she embraced it painfully and savored it. Slowly she took in the seething pain, relished it and craved for it. It was that pain that reminded her of what had happened, it was the pain that gave her the determination to move on and it was the haunting memories that reminded her of who she is today.

Her agony also reminded her of the goals that she had yet to attain - the goal that her demon butler would most definitely help her achieve in exchange for her soul.

Was Katherine afraid of dying? _No_, her valuable life meant nothing to her. The source of her determination to keep on living was nothing more than the satisfaction of her selfish insatiable greed.

_'A human are much worst than a demon'_, Katherine would say to Sebastian. _'Liars, backstabbers, untrustworthy, inferior and disgusting thirsty greed; these were we humans are.'_

Therefore, Katherine would remind herself daily that she is a human, a human being capable of the most wretched, selfish and vilest things – **ruthless** **revenge**. The young countess did not seek revenge on someone's behalf nor was it to avenge the name of Phantomhive family. What she wanted was nothing more than satisfaction.

The sick disgusting satisfaction of watching those who betrayed the Phantomhives tremble beneath her heels awhile she grinded their faces in the dirt. She wanted them to kneel in defeat, to writhe in the most scorching agony, to grovel and beg feebly for their lives awhile she brutally snatched everything they held dear.

Lady Katherine wanted them to experience every thing that happened to her, she wanted them to live through the same humiliation and suffering. She desired that satisfaction so much that she was willing to bet everything she had on it - including her _life_.

It didn't matter to her what happened afterwards, even if she didn't strike a deal with the demon in exchange for being her power – Katherine's life mattered little to her now.

Katherine Phanthomhive, the sweet innocent untainted girl died the day in the raging merciless fire that took away everything from her, her family, her pride, her honor, her dignity and even her _life_. The demon granted her the life that she held now; she was reborn from the slumps of the cages and risen from the ashes anew.

She was reborn with great power, and along with it came a darkness that she never knew she once possessed and a demon butler at her beck and call. Katherine was never more determined.

Kill or be killed, steal or be robbed, take forcibly or lose mercilessly - hesitate and die. Even if her stairway to her throne was a piles of humans' corpses along with her sins, Katherine would gladly stomp on each and every one, and claim her sins if it would mean that she would get to wear the crown.

Humans will do anything to be successful, even if what they do harms other people and drag others down for their own needs. Katherine no longer wanted to be pretentious human; she wanted to be the truest and purest vilest form of humanity.

She wanted to embrace the fact that she was _human_.

And it all starts ensuring she does her job as the Queen's watchdog, the ruler of the Britain's dark underground society. For the sake of revenge, she will bear the writhing pain and coldness. She will strip herself of every happiness and peace. Katherine will play the innocent part of the vulnerable, the hated evil nobleman, and the most detestable Watchdog.

She will not reject the fate her family was always burdened with, the fate that was passed down to her with her sapphire emerald cut ring. Katherine had power now, the power to withstand the heavy burden placed on her, the power that comes in a form of a demon to grant her wishes.

Katherine have came too far and endured too much to quit.

"My, my. You seem to be in deep thought." Sebastian's voice ringed softly into her ear, she could easily detect the widening smirk and charm in his voice. Snapping her eyes open, she turned her head towards him. He was kneeling by her bathtub, his narrow red eyes observing her.

Sebastian face came dangerously close to her, the fine hairs on her cheek stood up from his hot breath. He leaned backwards slightly and gave her a charming smile, removing his gloves and dipping his finger in her tub water and swirling it around. "The water is already cold, young mistress."

"That is because you took so long, demon." Katherine words were sharp, never lacking her usual venom that would make her butler portray his usual smirk. "Well what have you gathered?"

"You will catch a cold if you stay in there any longer." Sebastian pointed out. Katherine did not miss the sexy lilt dancing in his sultry voice, but she was not embarrass nor was she angered – she wouldn't grant him the satisfaction of evoking that out of her.

It didn't matter if Sebastian was beside her right now; he had bathed, clothed, fed her for as long as she could remember. Katherine never allowed anyone else to do that – it was his job and his only. Unconsciously, underwater her fingers ran up to scarred brand on the left side of her back from her time as a slave in a cult. _No_, she couldn't let anyone see it, anyone but Sebastian.

"Just give it to me." Katherine reached her hand out and snatched the stacks of papers that Sebastian held. She began scanning the documents quickly.

Sebastian watched his young mistress fondly, his ruthless, spoilt and demanding Katherine. He was intrigued by her really, her cunningness, her determination and the high piles of sins that she carried. _Delicious_, he would say, the most scrumptious and bewitching human that he had ever laid eyes upon. Her soul was enough to drive any demon insane with lust.

Some would even say that she was a demon herself; deathly, bewitching and ravaging.

He could still remember the scene when she first summoned him. When she rose from a death-like state, from a helpless little child locked in the cage to transforming into a glorious sinful human summoned from the burning hells.

The young child, stood in the middle of the devastating crime scene and the streaks of lighting from the raging storm outside shone from the opened windows reflected in her sapphire colored eyes. She stood still and silent – her white dress displaying speckles of blood. Her brown messy disarrayed hair swayed along with the unforgiving wind.

Then the weak child began to laugh hysterically, beautifully, enchanting. She laughed at the corpses surrounding her, she mocked the deaths' disbelief opened eyes, and she berated them for daring to try to enslave her, for humiliating her.

Once she halted her laughter, she turned to her demon and held out her hand, turning her back on light forever and embracing the new darkness that he brings without a second thought. It was only she and her demon. His hand was as black as night, wet and slick with blood. His eyes were pools of molten shimmering amethyst and Katherine could hear the darkness singing enticing to her. She opened her arms to the darkness he bought and embraced it, let it swallow her whole, let it cleanse her and scour her clean. She could feel her blood boil and turn to steam, and yet there was no pain. She felt strong and new and fierce.

Sebastian could taste it in her, the delicious aspect of cruelty, the appealing aspect of greed, the beautiful aroma of a human soul.

That was when Sebastian knew Katherine was special, the truest form of humanity, and how very beautiful and appealing she looked to him.

Of course, Katherine still had her weak points. She was still haunted by her traumatic past, weak and crippled from it. It haunted her and stuck to her like her own shadow.

Sebastian knew that he could nurture her soul and when the times come and when she finally obtains her sinful wish of revenge. She would be invulnerable, and absolutely divine, the finest soul.

Sebastian reached out and stroked Katherine's hair, twirling her wet brown locks around his fingers. Katherine bewildered, looked away from her documents in her palms and to her butler. Sebastian closed his eyes, breathing in slowly as if to savor the scent that emitted from her. When he opened them, he feasted his stunning fuchsia eyes on her like how a starving predator would to terrorize her prey.

He reminisced back to the that day when he first touched her hair, her chocolate silk hair dipped in the blood of the despair, her flawless face apathetic and arrogant, and her soft pale hands forever stained. Sebastian allowed the chocolate lock twirled around his finger to slowly unwind, the soft silk hair caress his cold palm slowly.

Katherine smirked, she knew her butler well enough to know what was going on in his mind. Reaching her wet hand out, she caressed the sides of Sebastian's face, tracing the lines of his defined jawbone. "Do you still remember what I asked of you that day we were contracted, Sebastian?"

"Yes my little lady." Sebastian returned the same cunning smirk, so malicious yet so enchanting at the same time. "To be by side like a shadow as your power and shield, that I am to obey your orders unconditionally, and that I never lie to you until you obtain your revenge."

Katherine chuckled softly, her eyes gleaming with mystery. "Of course, you never forget do you?" She whispered in a voice smooth as velvet, moving closely to her demon and teasing him. Then, she smacked the files of documents to his face and stood up abruptly.

"Then hurry up and tell me of its contents so that we can both get what we want." Katherine snarled viciously, her voice laced with deadly poison. She stepped out of the cold bathtub and wrapped her bathrobe around her quickly. Goosebumps formed on her slender legs when the cool wind kissed it. Sebastian laughed unexpectedly.

"I haven't completed my mission yet Sebastian, you have not granted me my wish and until that wish is granted, I will never let you have me." Katherine reminded him in a cold hard voice as she fumbled around with the strings of her bathrobe.

Sebastian bent over on one knee in front of her, and took the strings away from Katherine and began tying it skillfully into a butterfly knot. "Of course."

"If you were to kill me before my wish is granted, you would have breached the contract." Katherine smugly stated, narrowing her heartless hard sapphire gaze on him. "It's said that obeying orders is a demon aesthetics. Demons have no conviction or loyalties, all they have is aesthetics and you will protect me for the sake of your aesthetics. As per our contract, you will work for me. You will not kill me and you will protect me until I have accomplished my goal."

Sebastian grinned demonically, his smile haunting awhile his perilous gaze was pinned on Katherine. "Certainty. Every since that day I have been your loyal slave. If you command it I will grant all of your wishes. If it is your wish, I will follow you everywhere. Until you have slaughter everyone you desire, even if you throne crumbles and fall, beside you I will always be..."

"Until, I finally win my Queen's crown." Katherine finished for him, her cold tone as ruthless and relentless as ever. She laughed amusingly at her kneeling butler and they both shared a brief mutual understanding smile.

"Then... This is an order, Sebastian." She whispered softly, her dire blue eyes still hooked into Sebastian ruthless red ones. Katherine lifted his chin higher with her index finger and bend over, her long chocolate hair falling and creating a curtain.

Apart from the heat that radiated from her breath, nothing about Katherine was warm at all - from her light touch, to her presence and to her very gaze in her sapphire eyes. She commanded with conviction and coldness. "You will betray me, you will abide to the contract and protect me no matter what."

Sebastian's maroon eyes were wide as he stared at her. Sweet Katherine resembled nothing short of an enthralling angel from heaven. But that sinister aura that she gave out was a complete contradiction to all that beautiful purity, it was as if a energy that radiated from the her was nothing short of the sadistic energy that would derive form a cold blooded serial killer.

Sebastian eyes twinkled in maliciousness intent, placing a cold hand on hers and kissing it softly. "Yes, my lady." Katherine smiled viciously in response, running a finger through his black hair.

"So, what have you actually found out? Explain." Katherine demanded when she was finally changed into her sleeping silks and was all dried up. She stood by her fireplace in her chambers, sipping on the warm tea that Sebastian had prepared.

"From the reporters that I have drawn up, Martin Luther, an immigrant from Italy is the main suspect for the disappearance of the slaves. He disappeared soon after the missing slaves were noted and is deemed missing. Martin worked under the Italian mafia for a couple of years." Sebastian read off the documents that he had in his hands.

Katherine closed her eyes and savored the finely steeped tea. "And? What about this whereabouts? Do you have clues about that?"

Sebastian nodded, returning the documents to the first page. "He is missing currently. But according to rumors, he frequents a brothel which catered exclusively to many of the city's elite including the prominent businessmen and politicians."

"Ugh, what tacky fine taste." Katherine muttered sarcastically, her voice dripping in disgust. "Well, where is it?"

"Gray-inn road, owned by Madam Mary Frances Jeffries." Sebastian replied, handing the documents over to Katherine outstretched palm. "A middle-class procuress, I have checked her database with Lau on her activities in the East End underworld, it seems that she had been a loyal purchaser in illegal slaves."

"How vile, white slavery… So she has connections in the underworld, then we cannot act hastily." Katherine concluded sharply, looking at her detailed profile that Sebastian had summed up. "Though it doesn't make sense since she has been purchasing slaves all these while. Even if Martin Luther is cooperating with her to kidnap the slaves and women, why would she need to kidnap that vast amounts?"

Katherine looked up from the documents. "Have you already checked in with the brothels?"

"Your orders were to head to Welsh black and obtain information to draw up a blacklist." Sebastian pointed out amusingly, rubbing his chin with his thumb. "Funny, I do not recall your commands for me to investigate further." He spoke in a mocking tone knowing that it would stir up some emotions in Katherine.

Katherine's expression distorted into a distasteful scorn and she placed her cup nosily back on its saucer. "Shut up." She gritted her teeth, annoyed that Sebastian found amusement in a situation like this.

"What so wrong that you must make that face?" Sebastian inquired sardonically, smirking at her expected reaction. "I merely followed your orders, I thought that young mistress who commanded me to follow your orders unconditionally will approve of my decisions. I am after all, a hunting dog with a collar and leash."

"Perhaps the hunting dog would need a punishment for making his mistress blood boil." Katherine growled in aggravation, crumpling the documents in her furrowed grasp and throwing it to the table. head. She shot hateful daggers from her eyes. "It is distasteful of you to waste my precious time."

"It is an honor." Sebastian smiled playfully, enjoying Katherine's evoked reaction.

Lady Katherine stood up and walked towards the window. "It can't be helped then, since you're as useless without my commands as ever." She hissed out irritably. "There are many things that have yet to be confirmed. We cannot waste anymore time idling around."

She glazed her thumb over her shimmering sapphire ring and frowned. "No matter what it takes I will solve this case, I will relieve her Majesty of her worries and I will not have you obstructing me rather than be a help." She turned back to her Sebastian. "Head to Gray Inn road and investigate Madam Mary Jeffries secretly."

"Then I shall prepare the carriage immediately." Sebastian bowed his head.

"Hah?" Katherine snapped her head. "When did I give the order that I was coming? Just you infiltrating it are enough isn't it? Visiting such a tasteless place, I will pass."

"Is that a problem?" Sebastian replied, smirking. Eyeing on Katherine with entertainment. "Would that really be all right? Allowing me to roam free and living according to my own free will rather than your orders?"

After a moment of pensive consideration, she sighed irritably in defeat and looked away. "…I guess you are right. It can't be helped, I will go with you then."

"I will make the necessary preparations immediately." Sebastian clapped his hands happily, portraying his usual butler smile. "But young mistress, if this case is related to the underworld, will be visiting _his_ place?"

"To be honest, I want to avoid it but…" Katherine looked distastefully at the closed door, shuddering violently when she thought about the eccentric, self-absorbed and childish Prince Soma who was just waiting for a chance to _'hang out' _with her. "I want to return to the manor house as soon as possible."

**-xOx-**

"_Fufufu_, Countess. My you are a late visitor tonight. I was going to prepare my coffin for the night when you came." Undertaker's eerie voice came filtering from behind the counters. "You seem to be wandering out a little too late for a child your age, _hee hee_. Are you playing dress up now?"

Katherine sighed deeply, dressed in a disguise consisting of a simple pheasant dress and a brown cloak. "Undertaker." She greeted coolly. "I didn't come here for chit chats, I have something that I need you to look into. We have bought the documents." She waved for Sebastian.

Sebastian walked over to the counters, placing the documents on the dusty tabletop. "These are the information of some women. We need to know that you have _tidied up_ any of them for the underworld."

"_Hee hee hee_, women's corpses hmm…" Undertaker laid his head on the table like a sloth and drooled lazily. "In the underworld corpses are an everyday occurrence… But I am sure that the countess knows that very well…"

Katherine remained apathetic. "So have you serviced any of these ladies or children?"

Undertake flipped clumsily through the documents. "_Hee hee. _None of these girls were my clients, nor did I hear any rumors in the underworld companies about them."

"This means that there is no truth that the children were murdered by underworld companies..." Sebastian noted expectedly. He exchanged a brief look of understanding with Katherine.

"I guess we have no choice but to visit Madam Mary Jeffries's brothel first hand." Katherine rubbed her head in dismay, sighing. She had hoped that things wouldn't have to turn out this way. She stood up, and called for her butler. "Let's go then Sebastian."

"Madam Mary Jeffries… _fufufu_…" Undertaker snickered in a voice full of mystery.

"Do you know something about her?" Sebastian inquired speedily. Discerning that Undertaker might know something about the infamous procuress from his reaction.

"_Hee hee_. I wonder… What do I know about Madam Jeffries…?" Undertaker teased, snickering his heart out like he was enjoying the game of teasing. "If I saw something interesting, I think I'd have remembered…"

"What do you know, Undertaker?" Katherine demanded. She scorned distastefully, feeling her patience trickle away.

Undertaker hopped out from behind the counters enthusiastically. "But first…. Give it to me countess… A first rate laugh…" He bit off a brown dog bone biscuit as he sat on the tabletop, wiggling the half bitten biscuit in front of his nose like he was enticing the countess.

Katherine was in disbelief, no matter how many times she had visited the Undertaker; she couldn't seem to wrap her head around the concept of his form of _'payment_' for his services and information. She coughed awkwardly, "Sebastian."

"Please step outside, Young Mistress." Sebastian stepped up, tightening his gloves in preparations.

It was over and done with within minutes, Katherine didn't know how Sebastian had managed to appease the strange Undertaker, but it didn't matter to her. Not that she wanted to know what Sebastian did to satisfy Undertaker's constant need for 'a first rate laugh', nor did she want to imagine what was going on in the room. She shuddered when that thought crossed her mind, slamming open the door and storming into the room when Undertaker's laughter died down.

"There! You have your laughs, so tell us!" Katherine demanded to a sprawled out satisfied Undertaker on top of a coffin with drool spilling from the corners of his mouth.

Undertaker grinned cheekily. "Madam Jeffries, did come by my shop a few weeks back…" He admitted in a monotone, swaying over to his skeleton statue by the corner. "…For a little shopping…"

"Shopping? What did she place an order for…?" Katherine frowned and Sebastian adjusted her brown coat around her out of concern of her catching a cold.

"A bed for a friend…" Undertaker spoke in an eerie voice, caressing the sides of his boney face. Though his eyes were covered behind his long silver bangs, Sebastian knew he was looking at the coffin in the middle of the room. "…A departed friend I would say…"

"Who is it? I am sure you have information on that." Sebastian interrupted; seemingly intrigue by the new piece of information.

Undertaker laughed lowly, playing with the skeleton statue hands. "Of course I do, butler. But in this case, it is not someone you're looking for. It is a woman though, no doubt… _Fuhuhu_…"

"And? What about that client? Surely there is something wrong with the corpse that had caught your dim-witted attention." Katherine was getting annoyed and frustrated with Undertaker's antics, she wanted to get back to the London estate as soon as possible.

Undertaker walked towards the unsuspecting countess, covering her eyes with his cold hands and another touching her lower abdomen. "I would say… that she was murdered in a brutal fashion…"

Katherine slapped undertaker hands from her face, angling her self out his reach. "What do you mean?"

"My _guest_… Was Anne Jeffries… Mary Jeffries's younger sister." Undertaker revealed and a stunned silence occurred through the room as Katherine and Sebastian tried to process the new information. Seemingly pleased with the reaction, Undertaker chuckled lowly once more. "Poor girl… she was beauty, an expecting beauty…"

"She was with child?" Sebastian piped up, his face distorted. Undertake smiled sheepishly, as usual, the butler was extremely sharp and always seem to pick up things immediately.

Katherine tapped her head, cracking her brain to put the pieces together. "So she died with a child in her?"

"_Huhuhu_… She was certainty pregnant at that time, but…" Undertaker swayed his way in front of young countess, his smile gleaming in the dim room like a shining diamonds. "The child was not with her, stolen from her I would say… From chest to her womb, a fatal wound she had obtained, she was bathed in blood when she arrived."

For the first time in a while, Katherine gulped to ease her tense throat. Sure, she had handled many cases like these before and blood and gore meant little to her, but just hearing Undertaker say it was a little too overwhelming for her. "…If it's was a murder, why was it not reported?"

She exchanged a brief look with Sebastian and their minds instantly connected. Katherine sighed deeply. Somehow she had an ominous feeling that this was just the beginning of her discoveries. "I suppose there is no choice now. We have to pay the proclaimed Madam a visit."

"As you wish." Sebastian replied dutifully, bowing to Undertaker politely before guiding his mistress out of the door.

Katherine stopped midway for a moment, saying her goodbyes to the lunatic partner. "Inform me immediately if anything suspicious should arise."

"Hee hee… Goodnight countess." Undertaker waved, playing with his long silver locks. "Get home soon, you never know what might be lurking in the darkness…"

Katherine glanced back at him briefly, making a sound with her teeth before turning her heel and heading out to the door and into her carriage for her next destination.

The horse-drawn carriage pulled up to the opened gate of a rather silent and modest street, filled with shop houses, tall buildings and connected cramp houses. Katherine didn't like to way the Gray Inn road looked. Gray Inn road was deserted at this hour of the night. The tall Victorian houses looked strange and silent, as if they might all be empty inside, like the houses on an abandoned movie set. They looked as if they were empty of people, but full of strange watching things. The few lighted gas lamppost provided little light in the streets.

"The weather is cold, Young Mistress and the fog is heavy tonight. Would you like to stay in the carriage instead?" Sebastian remarked, helping down the young countess. He then told the driver to park the carriage and led Katherine to the sidewalks.

Katherine wrapped her simple brown pheasant brown cloak tightly around her, she certainly wasn't use to thin rough cheap material and it wasn't helping her to keep warm in the chilly night air. But Katherine decided that a pheasant outfit would be more inconspicuous and it was far more easier to move about should the situation call for it compared to her tight corset and dresses. "Just shut up and lead the way."

Sebastian was right; London's fog was practically thick today. Black fog created from the coal fires that were an essential part of Victorian life and sometimes it was so thick and grey that you could hardly see through them.

She shivered violently as Sebastian led the way to the other end of the Gray Inn. Sebastian unbuttoned his double-breasted black coat, revealing a fine black tailcoat and covered Katherine head and body with the much larger fabric. "W – what?" Katherine stuttered suddenly.

"So that your body won't become cold." Sebastian explained, smiling as usual when he adjusted the coat around her face so that she could see clearly. "When we return to the mansion, I will prepare some hot milk with honey for you."

"Shut up." Katherine muttered and her ears burned red with embarrassment, but accepting the offer of an extra jacket anyway. "Just concentrate on the mission and leave me be."

"Very well." Sebastian replied.

Soon, a lighted building came into view, a rather gray looking relatively large building. Katherine glanced at Sebastian and received her affirmation that it was the brothel that they were looking for. As expected it was open at this time of night, usually being the busiest time of the day. Chatters of drunken human voices filled her ears when they came closer to the building and the young countess sighed.

Sebastian turned to Katherine by his side. "Young mistress, please wait here for a moment awhile I head inside."

"Fine with me. Go and investigate." The female of fifteen commanded with rigid authority and the butler nodded, "Get it over and done with, understood? I don't care what you do but bring me some information of value."

"Yes, my lady." Sebastian bowed his head, before walking across the empty street to the other side and disappearing in a blink of an eye. Katherine did not bother to see what Sebastian was heading; she knew that her human eyes could not keep up with the demon's supernatural speed.

Katherine Phantomhive sighed deeply and began tapping her leather shoes on against the ground. She walked further away from the brothel, disturbed by the noises. It was late in the night, and Katherine and beyond tired and frustrated at the situation she was in. She knew that finding the culprit for the kidnapping cases with no leads was a tall order, but it had deeply worried the queen and she had to play her role as the Queen's watchdog.

The young mistress wasn't allowed to enter with her butler, due to her reputation of a dignified Lady and head of the noble household. Katherine, of course, was annoyed but she knew it was for the best. Plus, a brothel full of whores and drunken men was the last place she wanted to be. The only thing she craved now was her plush feather bed, and perhaps a warm cup of milk with honey that Sebastian had promised.

"How long will he take?!" Katherine hissed out to herself in irritation when ten minutes had passed. Her shrill sharp voice snapped the eerie silence in two. She was getting impatient and fatigued. It was way pass her bedtime.

She sneezed out loudly when a cool night air blew around her, sending her fine hairs standing at its icy touch. There was no sound at all but her breathing and the sounds she made. She was alone in the huge, creepy dim street –

But somehow Katherine was distracted and uneasy.

She didn't know why she felt it, but she was aware of the tight constriction in her chest. Katherine whirled around quickly to face the brothel far away, straining her own eyes to see into the shadow fogs, trying not to even breathe. But she could see nothing, hear nothing. Sighing, she turned back and continued walking aimlessly.

The road ahead of her was dim, menacing shapes stretching out into nothingness. And the far end of the street was simply a featureless gray fog. Dark mist, she thought, and she could feel every muscle agonizingly tense as she listened desperately.

_What are you doing? Snap out of it._ She chided herself. Katherine adjusted Sebastian's large jacket around her fragile small frame. The faint warm smell of Sebastian's scent wafted into her nose, and Katherine couldn't help but breathe in deeply at the familiar warm scent that she had become so accustomed to. Yes, she wouldn't be so uneasy if her demon were here, Katherine would feel much more at ease with Sebastian by her side.

Katherine buried her face into her his jacket and breathed in the warm scent. She instantly felt calmer and a secret smile played on her lips. Finding new strength of determination, Katherine busied her mind on the mystery surrounding the kidnapping case.

Nothing made sense at all from what she had gathered, no matter how much she cracked her brain to put the pieces together, Katherine couldn't come up with a prime reason behind the kidnappings. Was it to force them into prostitution? Surely not, Madam Mary Jeffries had plenty of illegal slaves to work under her. But it was too early to tell now, one thing Katherine knew for sure was that Mary Jeffries was the main suspect, and the speculation surrounding her sister's brutal death was uncanny as well.

"Sebastian would know what to do..." Katherine muttered out softly to herself, holding Sebastian jacket around her tightly. She has yet to discuss things with her butler. She didn't doubt his capability of handling cases like this; there was no one more suitable than a demon with supernatural abilities.

Katherine was not paying the slightest of attention to her surroundings and missed the warning signs of soft stifling sounds behind her as she crossed an alley. Her mind had fled from reality, too focused on finding the kidnapper and the reason behind it.

The young countess gasped out loudly when a large hand grabbed a sleeve of her brown jacket and reality made a hard comeback in her mind. Suddenly, her mind was clear. She had to get out of this place, now. There was real danger here, not just fantasy. Something was out there, something that wanted her. And she was all alone.

But it was too late when she realized. The hand dragged her forcibly from the sidewalk she was walking at and pulled her into a nearby alley. A white handkerchief came up to her nose, choking her as she kicked and screamed.

She was kicking and failings her hands with all her might, trying to push her attacker away from her when the dizziness hit her. It send her reeling and she strugged on to get away from the attacker's grasp because it was the only thing she could keep in focus.

Gray waves of fog swept through her brain, and she fought to keep moving. Weak, she felt so weak and helpless against the sheer power of this migraine. The world around her went blank when she finally gave in the horrid aroma of the medicine soaked in the handkerchief and her body went limp.

The last thing she remembered was her butler's black jacket sliding off her body and falling into the hard pavement.

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><p><strong>This chapter was enjoyable to write, he he, but I kind of have a writers block midway. Sorry if this chapter is too long. Anyways, thank you for reading! Please do leave a review, constrictive criticism is very much welcomed. Favorite and follow if you like it, it would be very much appreciated! <strong>


	5. Her Butler, Recuse

**Thank you for favoriting and following my story! I couldn't thank you enough (:**

** Katherine,gracia,7186896: **Wow, Katherine is a very beautiful name, one of my favorites! Thank you for your review! I am glad to hear that you can relate to Katherine!** Hauntinghowls: **First of all, I love for DP (NALU FTW), and yes haha, I update fast! Thank you for your kind review! **xMistyx: **Hi, thanks for reviewing! Well, thank you for giving my story a read! And regarding your question... Uhm. Lets just say that this fan fiction was inspired by the Kuroshitsuji live movie OST, **_(_Through the ages - Gabrielle Aplin),** so... you can decide it for your self! Though there is definitely romance.** Mrs,Vendetta: **Hi! I have updated, i am glad you liked the interaction! Thank you for the review love!

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><p>What was this feeling? This familiar unwanted retched feeling…<p>

The feeling of cold rusting metal around her wrists, restraining her from moving her arms, the disgusting aroma of musky damp wood, urine and other diseases, the stench of rotting flesh of the deceased… Yes she _knew_ this feeling… She remembered it all too well…

She could feel him, leaning over her, his hot breath tickling her face and neck. She squirmed in his cruel iron grasp, trying desperately to get away from his hold. She begged, cried and screamed in agony but he wouldn't let go of her. _They_ wouldn't let go of her.

She screamed when her body twisted, flinched and trembled in absolute agony when she felt a burning sensation eating her body from the inside. She could hear the soft sighs of content, like they were relishing her agonizing screams.

Those laughs, those horrible laughs. She remembered them all too well. The ear-pitched sadistic laughter as they watched her beg with tears streaming out of her eyes, those taunting eyes as she felt the scorching heat emit from the threatening red-hot brand iron.

"Mother!" She yelled out desperately, her voice cracking under pressure. "Father!"

But deep downs she knew they wouldn't come; no one would come for her. Father and mother were dead. She had lost everything. Her head pounded and she struggled all the more, not wanting to be held captive. Her child like strength was futile against her attackers grips. They were hurting her, their nails dug into her as a hold when she struggled.

She was naked, clumsy with fear. They struck her again, yelling at her, threatening her to stay still. "Scream all you want little one, no one is coming for you." The man above her whispered, voice calm and sadistic. He was enjoying the show; she knew that he enjoyed her agonizing screams.

She shut her eyes tightly, the feeling of the threatening heat of the branding iron coming ever so closer to her flesh. The sensation was so hot, scorching and agonizing – it was so excruciating that she clawed onto her palm, desperate to get rid of the burning pain.

It was pain in its most rawest, threatening and ruthless form. She could feel her flesh sear and blacken and slough away, could feel her throat ripping apart as she screamed in the most purest form of pain. She didn't know how long the torture lasted, but every single second passed she felt a sharp razor clawing in her insides causing her to scream and pleaded for then to stop. Her nails dug harshly against her soft palm flesh.

Their taunting voice just kept whispering in her ear. "For the sake of the _demon_…" Their warm breath kept crawling over her skin. She could feel it, she wasn't going to make it, and she was going to die…

"Hey! Are you ok?"

That voice… That voice didn't belong to them. It echoed all around the pitch darkness around her, yet it came from nowhere.

Gray.

That was the first thing Katherine saw, a blurred gray vision, just a single, dull slab of color, bereft of any warmth and compassion. A massive migraine that felt like jackhammers pounding against her brain threatened to tear her apart and the scent of a musky wood tingled in her nostrils.

Katherine jolted upright, gasping for air, her chocolate hair plastered to her face with cold sweat. She sucked in the cold air, but it did little use for her body. She began to hyperventilate, her vision out of focus. Gray, that was all she could see. Just a messy spiral of browns and black muddling together into a blurry gray.

She couldn't breathe, the air was going in but it wasn't doing anything.

"Calm down! Oh god!"

That voice again, the voice from her dreams. Only this time, it was louder, clearer and closer to her. Katherine felt a warm grip on her shoulders, and she lifted her tear-stained face to look at the owner of the voice, her body quivering from the emotional pain.

When had she started crying?

"Sebastian…" Katherine heaved between heavy breaths. _Where is he? Where is her butler? _She was still panting, still unable to breathe properly. Her stomach constricted and knotted in all sorts of way, threatening to empty everything within it. Katherine felt her brain signaling it's deprived of oxygen, and she started gasping loudly - she had forgotten how to breathe.

"Please, calm down. Focus on breathing!" The voice said to her again. That wasn't Sebastian's voice… It was the voice of a female. Her lungs tightened and Katherine tried desperately to breathe awhile the grip on her shoulders tightened.

Katherine kept wheezing, her whole body was trembling from the affects of the dream. Her vision focused, and her sapphire eyes locked into a pair of chocolate browns one. The grip around her shoulder tightened further, almost painful, a reminder that someone was there.

"It's going to be ok…" The voice soothed her. Slowly Katherine began to concentrate on her surroundings, focusing entirely on the owner of the voice. A girl…?

Messy blonde hair covered half of her face, but there was a certain sweetness and concern in her smile when she noticed that Katherine was recovering. The girl's chocolate eyes stayed on Katherine all the time.

"You were writhing and screaming in your sleep." The girl smiled softly releasing her grip on Katherine awhile she squatted by the floor in front of her.

"Where am I…?" Katherine managed to mutter out. She was breathing regularly now, but her body still shook. She wanted to touch her forehead, but Katherine noticed that her hands were secured tightly with heavy chains. _Wait… Chains? _She winched in pain as the tried to release her self from it bounds.

"Please calm down." The girl noticed Katherine trying to struggle when she notice that she was bounded up. She looked like she was of the same age as Katherine. "I am not here to hurt you."

Katherine scowled when she suddenly remembered. That right, she was kidnapped. But who was this young girl in front of her and why was she here squatting in front of her unbound? "Who are you?" Katherine voice finally stabilized, her tone now stronger with conviction.

"Elie. That is my name." Elie replied her expression was filled with gentle sympathy. It was only then did Katherine look at her surroundings. She was in a dark room, the only amount of light coming from a petite candle lamp from the corner. There was no one else, only she and the mysterious girl.

"Where am I?" Katherine inquired, clenching her jaw tighter. She detested the look of sympathy that Elie had, but she couldn't blow her cover just yet. Katherine was determined to relieve her majesty of her worries, even if it meant putting down her pride and playing the part of the vulnerable and weak.

Elie pursed her lips, looking away. "I honestly don't know. Mother never tells me. But she says that you will be used for a better good in the world."

Katherine narrowed her eyes. "Mother? Who is your mother?"

"Oh please do not ask me free you! I can't! Mother will hit me again. She says that I can't free you… I can't free any of you…" Elie begged and Katherine looked at her with an expression of confusion.

Wait a moment, _any of you_? Katherine thought, dubiously looking at her. This was it; this could be her chance to find out what happened to the missing women… There was no doubt now that they were others and Katherine had all the reasons to believe that they were the missing women she had been looking for.

"I won't ask you to free me." Katherine smartly decided to play along with the naïve innocent child. "I just want to know what does she mean for the 'better good in the world'."

"I don't know… Mother never told me." Elie replied just above a whisper. After a pensive moment of consideration, she lifted the strands of blonde hand away from her face and Katherine eyes widen in surprise. Half of her face was disfigured, scarred beyond recognition, like acid was poured over her face. "Mother says that it will heal me…"

Katherine said nothing. She couldn't put her finger on where this case was going. It was getting even more confusing by the minute. But she figured that the child was going to get her closer to the answer, this '_mother'_ of hers could be the culprit.

Katherine feigned a small smile and without giving any tell-tale sign that she was lying, parted her lips and allowed the lies to swim out of her mouth with ease, "My name is… Liz... I was a maid servant at manor." She knew how to play it with people like Elie, bond over their sad common ground. The young countess utilized her innocent perfect traits to good use – 'the more innocent and vulnerable you look, the higher the chances of getting the prey to lower it's guards.' Humans are so predictable.

Elie smiled naively, believing the lie that Katherine had told. "Don't worry Liz. Mother says that we are done with you, every one will be liberated and free."

Katherine almost wanted to laugh at the stupidity that was streaming out from the child in front of her but she held it back in. "Where is your mother? Wouldn't she be looking for you?" She mustered the best look of concern in her face. It was times like it Katherine was glad she was still a child.

Elie eyes dejected to the ground, sadness floating in her warm chocolate orbs. She looked so tortured, Katherine observed. "She's back in London… She hardly visits me." Katherine eyes widen at the realization, was she out of London?

"I am the only one here? What about others?" The young countess decided to be brazen about her questions, she can safely assume that Elie was too naïve too figure out what she was doing.

Elie shook her head, biting on her dried looked so weak, so fragile, like she could collapse any moment. "I can't tell you… Mother will hit me."

Katherine secretly fumed. She wasn't going to get any information from this innocent sheltered girl. The rough shackles around her porcelain skin grazed her and she fidgeted and winched in pain. Elie reached her hand out and slowly touched her bounded wrist and whispered to herself softly. "I told Mother to be gentle… I just don't understand why they had to be so brutal in handling you…"

"Excuse me?" Katherine blinked, looking at her with perplex.

Elie jumped and retracted her hand, backing away. She looked at the countess for a moment before she let a sigh escape through her lips as her gaze trailed the dirty floor. "Oh… I am sorry…"

"Elie! Elie! Where are you! Damn that stupid brat just had to run around again." A harsh male voice filtered through the door, anger and resentment in his tone and Elie jumped in surprise, jolting back into her feet.

"I am sorry I couldn't help you." Elie spoke quickly as she dug her hand into her pocket and placed a sweet on the floor next to Katherine. She smiled softly at her. "We girls need to stick with each other."

Without a second word, Elie bolted out the door, slamming it shut with a long bang. "I am sorry! I didn't mean to wander around! I – I was just…" Katherine could hear Elie apologizing furiously, fear and anxiety underlying her voice.

"You were back with the slaves again weren't you!" Katherine heard a loud slap snap the air as Elie cried out in pain; she flinched at the sound of it. "Stop being so naïve! There is no way you can help them! Come here!"

The voices and screams grew distant, and soon enough, Katherine was embracing the eerily silent room. "Sebastian, I am here." She called out into the darkness, her voice echoing in the damp room. The temperature in the room suddenly dropped, the candle blowing out and she was met with darkness.

The candle suddenly lit back again, and in front of her appeared Sebastian looking as prim and proper as ever. A wicked smile curved on his lips as he regarded her. "My my, what a troublesome young mistress I have… Getting kidnapped in mere minutes when I am not by your side."

Katherine hissed. She didn't like the way he talked to her, it sounded almost sarcastic rather than respectful.

He swooped in and carried her, placing her on top of a wooden trunk as he snapped the chains in half. The metal shacks clinked together noisy as it fell to the ground. Noticing that Katherine was glaring at him, he reached out to touch her face. Electricity zapped through Katherine's skin and tingled when he touched her. "Are you alright?" He said with concern.

Katherine scoffed, slapping his hand away from her face and looking away. "What do you care anyway?" She rubbed the part of her hand where the rough metal had grazed her sensitive skin, forming a light pink rash.

Sebastian blinked, quickly concealing his surprise with a smile. "Care? Of course I care, you're my beloved young mistress after all." He grabbed her hand and observed her injuries.

But Katherine wasn't going to fall for his demon charm, she knew him all too well. She roughly tugged her hand away, her teeth clenched down hard. "You knew this would happen didn't you! You used me as bait! This was the reason why you asked me to come along!" She screamed in accusation.

The demon chuckled airily. "For my greedy young mistress who wanted to solve this cast 'as fast as possible' and had openly declared that she would solve this case 'no matter what it takes'. It would take far too long if we were to investigate the case with this little evidence, it would be best if we lure the kidnappers to us. This is my reasoning."

"You were willing to bet on my life for a stupid case?" Katherine growled menacingly, the rage burning so hot in side of her that she was shaking from anger. Her fist clenched into two tight balls.

Katherine was seething in anger, her pride bruised – she was enraged that she had to be chained up like a dog, her face dirtied and being treated like a slave. She was the head of renowned household; Katherine ego was severely strained after being treated as such.

"Please don't worry, as long as there is the contract I will protect your life. However…" Sebastian face etched nearer to Katherine, placing his gloved hands on her thighs. His playful eyes were dancing in amusement. "If you get too greedy, young mistress, a fatal accident could occur…"

"Shut up!" Katherine pushed her demon forcibly off her, clenching her jaw irately.

"Any game becomes boring when it lacks thrills…" Sebastian smoothen the creases in his coat, his calm eyes darted to meet a pair of flaring sapphires one. "For you, who have a taste for thrilling games you play with your victims. Don't you think the same?"

"It is unwise to play with me like this Sebastian." Katherine threatened. She wasn't all too happy with being used as bait. What would others think of her if they saw her in such a humiliating state?

Sebastian smiled, throwing a knowing look at her. "But this is the fastest shortcut method is it not?" He bent over to pick up the sweet that Elie had left behind and placed it in Katherine's palms and lean forward to whisper into her ear. "It would seem to me that you are so upset because your new friend has seen you in such a _vulnerable_ state."

"_Tsk_, she is not my friend." Katherine clicked her tongue irritably, looking away in defeat. She was going to teach Sebastian a lesson one way or another, but this wasn't the time for a berate session. "Well, more importantly, I hope you carried out my request. What did you find out? Do you expect me to ask you if you had a pleasurable time at the brothels?"

"There were no signs of the missing in the brothel, but I found this." Sebastian extracted something from his pocket and Katherine grabbed it from his grasp. "One of the girls had stolen it from Madam Jeffries officer, she was planning to sell it for cash."

"A ring?" Katherine was puzzled, looking at the gold ring. She narrowed her eyes at the ring. There was a small crest in the signet ring, two horses and a sword. "A family's crest…?"

"Does it look familiar?" Sebastian questioned smugly.

She grew irritated, throwing the ring back at Sebastian but he caught it swiftly before it hit his handsome face. "Since you're gloating like a pig over it, you should know right?"

"Of course, young mistress." Sebastian smirk grew wider when he bowed his head. "Think hard or are there too many victims in your games that you can't remember?"

Katherine eyes went wide when realization dawn upon her, her head snapping up to meet Sebastian's glowing red eyes. "Earl Herman Coleman…" She spat with disdain, immediately realizing which direction her demon was heading. She scoffed in disbelief, rolling her eyes. "Of course… It just has to link back to that grunting pig."

"Well since you have butchered that pig, we can't get answers from him." Katherine concluded, rubbing her temples with her thumb. This might be the first time that regretted killing off some nuisance so earlier in her game. "Well it can't be helped."

"You're missing something here, Young mistress." Sebastian pointed out, his lips curling up in a mysterious way.

"What?" Katherine frowned. There was a pregnant pause before she gazed directly into Sebastian's playful eyes.

Sebastian flipped the ring around, showing the inside plating of the signet ring. "Look here."

"What is that?" Katherine narrowed her eyes, concentrating her vision and zeroing in on the small imprinted logo embedded behind the ring plate. "_Ah_!" She dropped the ring, horrified when she saw it. She trembled slightly and her throat wrenched tightly is dismay.

Sebastian caught the ring, placing the ring carefully back into his pocket. He cupped her cheek in one hand softly, feeling her fragile body shake ever so slightly beneath his hold. Fear, anger and disgust flowed through her veins. A raw pained silence ensured between them.

Sebastian stroked her hair softly and murmured in a delicate voice. "There is no need for you to be here anymore. It's time to make your winning move, young mistress. Let us go. We can talk with ease with we get back."

"Don't touch me!" Katherine screeched, her voice sounding sorely abused. She instantly recovered from her shock and was backing away from Sebastian. Her pearl white teeth clashed together in a tight clench, her fist bundled up to keep her fingers from shaking. She wasn't going to let anyone pity her, not even Sebastian. Her voice grew softer when she saw the look on Sebastian's face and her jaw tightened. "I am fine…"

She placed two and two together, and the realization dawned in her. It all made sense now, Elie's words, the missing women and the reason behind Earl Coleman's attack on her. Her eyes were glistening with unshed tears, and he could see the pain; so much, reflected within them.

Katherine moved her uneasy gaze to the candy that Elie had gave her earlier. "Ah, how ironic." She picked it up, smoothing the label on the plastic wrapped. "_Funtom_ Company eh?" She tore away the plastic wrap and tip-toed over to Sebastian, "Say ah."

"Ah?" Sebastian followed her commands with an expression of confusion and Katherine quickly shoved the sweet in his mouth.

"Taste good doesn't it?" Katherine mocked, knowing that it was no way near _delicious_ in a demon's palette. Stealthy, awhile Sebastian was still confused from her sudden actions. She grabbed the razor silver ware that she knew her butler had always stored in his jackets.

"Or…" She started tauntingly, with hard steel threading behind it. She twirled the knife around her slender fingers and plopped down on a rotting wooden box, crossing her slim legs. "Do you think this would taste better?"

She ran the razor sharp edge on her palm, leaving a trail of crimson blood oozing out from the flesh wound. Katherine regarded the pain carefully, feeling it pierce her flesh and tear it. She smiled playfully, dropping the knife on the floor, it clattered nosily when it hit the ground. Katherine gauged Sebastian cool expression carefully. She squeezed her hands together, the blood spilling out and dripping on the floor.

"A little taste of my soul, why not?" She challenged. Her blood dripped enticingly on the cold floor, magically forming a pentagram. It was prove that she was bonded to a demon and that her soul was promised to him – the contract was literally written in her blood. Sebastian was frowning deeply at this point.

"Aren't you taking this game a little too far, young mistress?" Sebastian was a calm and cool, but Katherine could sense a lace of disapproval in his voice and it gave her satisfaction in knowing that it was affecting him.

She released the clench on her hand, her palm and fingers tainted red in vivid blood and wiggling her hand in front of her face, seducing and challenging him. "A little thrill is good for games. Otherwise, it will become too boring." She rebuffed, cleverly diverting the same sardonic comment Sebastian gave back to him.

There was a cold gust of wind, a blurry vision, and a loud bang on the wall. Katherine's cocky smile never wavered off her face, even after she was pinned to the wall with her bleeding hand held up against the wall by her wrist and a very displeased demon in front of her.

She looked at Sebastian tauntingly, challenge in her determined eyes. His face was so close to hers, that his forehead was mere inches away from hers. The condensing aura that Sebastian emitted did little to frighten Katherine, though it was enough to strike fear in the mightiest knights in England.

His eyes glimmered amethyst. She could see the hunger in him, the temptation, the lust in his eyes. "As expected from young mistress, so brazen that she would dare to play games with a demon and even dangles his prey in front of his eyes."

He etched closer to her, his eyes narrowed and Katherine lips etched up higher in amusement. His hot breath was tingling her cool skin. Katherine truthfully felt hot and flustered under his grasp. "But I will pass, knowing that it was reduce my enjoyment of dinner by half."

Amusement, seen as a challenge by her. Katherine laughed musically, her eyes crescent like. "That is, if you can resist it." She challenged once more with determination. Katherine wasn't going to lose a game that she had started, she will never allow herself to lose to anyone, not even her demon.

She could see Sebastian stare at her wound for a brief moment and a flicker of doubt in his eyes. Pushing him off with her free hand, she caressed his cold cheek with her bloodied hand. Her voice was even, emotionless, yet somehow pure even as power rolled down her tongue. "This is a reminder, demon. Don't you dare use me bait again and threaten my life like it was play time."

"Yes my lady." Sebastian smiled like nothing was wrong despite his cheek wet and slick with scarlet blood, Katherine's blood. He knew she was enticing him, reminding him why he was serving him and it a test of his loyalty. Katherine smiled triumphantly.

Of course, Katherine had it well played. She was of course, the master of her demon bounded by control, filled with undying superiority over him. She knew her demon would prioritize his demon aesthetics above everything, and it was stated per contract that he could not obtain her soul until she had completed her revenge. But the young countess found enjoyment in torturing the hungry beast, and what better way of a _reminder_ than to dangle her soul, his prize for his loyalty in front of him?

But that didn't change the fact that was livid. She couldn't believe that Sebastian had used her as bait, _knowing_ what was stirring on the case. The engraving behind the signet ring, it was enough proof that Katherine needed – all she had to do was make her checkmate and dig out her hiding preys out from their burrows.

"Let's go Sebastian, it's time to leave this damned place." Katherine gaze dropped to the Funtom sweet wrapper on the floor, right next to the small pool of blood.

"Yes, my lady." Sebastian smiled, ignoring the sweet scent of blood on his cheek and swooping Katherine in his arms. She wrapped her hands around his neck, her blood boiling in anticipation and rage. The cool air hit their faces when they escaped the warehouse, their hair waving in the wind as the sunset greeted them.

It was time to _lure_ the prey out.

**-{xOx}-**

"Where is she?!" The slender blonde woman fumed, enlightened with fury. She had just arrived at the hideout, only to be greeted with bad news. Her men around her flinched at the sound of her high pitched voice as she demanded to see her mischievous daughter. Madam Mary Jeffries stomped around the dim room, irately berating her incompetent men. "What have you fools been doing?!"

"I found her." One of her men announced, stepping into the room. A frightened Elie in his grasp struggled as she tried to escape. Fear flashed across Elie's face when she saw her mother. She knew what was coming – she had disappointed mother, mother was severely angry, mother was going to hit her.

"You!" Madam Mary Jeffries gritted her teeth at the sight of her daughter. She stomped over and dragged her daughter towards the center of the room by her hair. "What have you done again?!"

"Ah! Mother, please! You're hurting me!" Elie cried, tears swelling in her eyes and threatening to spill. "I don't know anything! I really don't! I didn't let her out, I swear I didn't!"

"How could that child escape then?" Mary Jeffries struck Elie. The poor girl fumbled on the ground, holding onto her red stinging cheek, clumsy with fear. "You are a waste of space! All these years I have bought you up with that disgraceful face and yet you bring me nothing but trouble!"

Elie whimpered, her fearful chocolate eyes begging the men around her - to save her from her mother's beatings, to explain that she didn't have anything to do with the disappearance of the new slave girl and that she didn't betray her mother. But they all kept still and silent, not wanting to take the blame on themselves, someone had to be responsible for the disappearance and Elie was their scapegoat.

Mary grabbed Elie's blue collar, shaking the terrified girl vigorously awhile she screeched in her face with merciless rage. "Do you know what could happen?! That girl saw you! She knows about this place! You could ruin everything you stupid girl!"

"I didn't tell her anything important! I didn't help her escape! I swear!" Elie pleaded her case.

"Liar! You always had a soft spot for the slaves, always asking us to be kinder when handling them and asking why they had to be kept be held captive!" One of the men hollered out in accusation, much to the dismay of Elie.

Elie quickly faced her mother's fuming expression to explain her case. "I just don't understand, why must you kidnap them? They are suffering mother! That girl was merely a child!" She naively shouted and Mary struck her again, harder this time.

"_You_! You don't understand anything at all!" Mary hollered at the top of her lungs, exasperated at her how her only daughter could be so immature and naïve. "They are slaves, they aren't human beings they are property! They are the key to everything!"

"That girl was terrified, mother!" Elie suddenly found the courage to defend her self. "She was whimpering, shivering, frail and thin, she was just a mere maid girl at a manor! Yet they had her chained like a dog in the dungeon!"

Elie Jeffries had enough; she had seen and witnessed enough of her mother's men cruel ways. She could hear them in her dreams sometimes and she would wake up in cold sweat, guilt-stricken. The poor girls locked up in cages, tossed and fed like animals awhile she watched in silence, helpless and unable to do anything but watch the barbaric splendor in front of her as guilt shot through her body.

They begged her to let them go, but as much as Elie wanted to, she could not.

"How dare you question your mother?!" Mary was enraged beyond means, and she raised her hand midair prepared to strike her daughter again for even daring to talk back to her.

"Mary, that is enough."

A thin male entered the vicinity, his face and hair hid beneath a large top hat. He scorned at the unsightly scene. "The child doesn't know better, let her go Mary."

Elie eyes widen at the sudden appearance of her savior and broke out into a weak smile. "Leader!" She cried, scrambling up clumsy to her feet and running into his open arms. Immediately everyone in the room stiffened at the sight of their lord leader.

He caressed her hair gently and spoke in a calm voice. "How have you been Elie?"

Mary face curdled like sour milk and she made an irritable noise underneath she noise. The male noticed the bitter mood and his gaze met the disgruntled women. "Mary, a word please?"

The procuress shrugged, throwing a bunch of commands to her men before signaling her visitor to a private room. Elie watched in awe as she watched them leave. She respected and admired him, the _'leader'_ that she was fond of, the man that had given hope and inspired countless of people.

She was her savior, her mentor and her best friend.

But what innocent Elie didn't know was the other darker side of him, a side that her mother and her beloved idol had kept a secret.

A rusty lamp hung against the low ceiling, doing a pathetic job at lighting up the cramped narrow room. Mary shut the door behind them when they entered**. **A wooden worn-down desk stood in the middle of the empty room, cigarette ashes scattered dirtily over the top. A sharp knife was laid on the table as well; dried bits of blood evident on the shiny blade and Mary bit her lips when she noticed it.

"You should have ended her suffering awhile you had the chance." He spat out sourly, throwing his hat to the wooden table. He ruffled his brown hair for a moment, giving more volume to the roots. "She is a waste of space."

"She is my daughter." Mary defended softly, facing her back on back towards him and concentrating on steeping some tea for the both of them. "I couldn't leave her in the streets when she was baby, not even with that horrible wound on her face."

"Why keep her when all you do is strike her? Does it bring you joy to shove her around in front of the men?" He pointed out, grinning sarcastically, accepting the steaming tea that Mary held out.

"That stupid girl finally did it." Mary gritted her teeth, her hold on the teacup tightening as she thought about her only child. "She released a prisoner that Martin Luther had caught yesterday."

"So?" The man idly yawned, seemingly unaffected by the news. He placed the teacup nosily back to the saucer, locking his fingers together. "So what if a lamb or two had wandered missing? She could be dead by now."

"Don't you understand?!" Mary was exasperated at this point. "It could be the end for us! That stupid softhearted girl could have spilled something to the escapee! She saw Elie and if word gets out-"

"_Shh_…" His hands curled around her neck, silencing her from saying anymore. He smiled vilely, tracing the tips of his finger around her collarbone. He whispered in her ear soothingly. "Why are you getting so worked up about a little lamb or two? Just relax."

She allowed a moan of satisfaction escape her lips and she reluctantly touched his fingers, halting him from moving any further. Mary spoke distractedly. "You don't know what Elie is capable of, that girl is too softhearted for her own good." She sighed softly when his fingers dropped.

"I don't understand why you keep her around, we should utilize her." The man suggested and shrugged, walking back to his seat. His eyes narrowed down as he studied his blonde lover in front of him. "Just like how you utilized your _sister_."

The blond women scoffed, looking away when a flash of guilt spread on her face. "It can't be helped, it was all for the greater good." Her fingers curled tightly around her dress, her man watched her in silence, noticing how completely guilty and regretful Mary looked.

"_Heh_. Of course." The brunette male smirked. "We have to follow every procedure as planned. After all there is living proof that the greater good exist…"

His cold eyes darted to brown folder resting on the oak table, a few cigarette ashes lying on top of it. He swept away the ashes in one swift moments and flipped open the folder. The man could feel his heart was pounding furiously on his ribcage as he his eyes excitedly read the paper's contents.

Too long, he had waited too long for this day to come. He was so close to his goals that he could practically taste the victory on the tip of his tongue. His eyes glazed the folder's contents, filled with lust and adoration.

Mary gulped, intently watching the cold calloused hands flip through the pages.

A sudden knock on the door startled Mary. Martin Luther strolled in, his clothes crumpled and disorderly. He rubbed his studded beard and spoke in distinctive Italian accent. "Our men have yet to find her." He reported.

"Impossible!" Mary exclaimed. "There is no way that a child could escape that far, how many men have you dispatched? We cannot allow her to live, not when she saw that much!"

"We have dispatched twenty men, some on horseback as well." Martin spoke in a regrettable tone at their failure, bowing his head in shame that they couldn't even capture back a runaway child.

The brunette male shrugged. He threw the brown folder back on the desk and a slight layer of ash particles lifted into the air when it landed. The contents of the folder spilled out messily on top of the desk. "Do you even call yourself men when you can't even capture a little girl?!" He berated harshly.

"_Ah_!" Martin Luther's gray eyes went wide when he spotted the pictures that spilled out from the brown folder. He bent forward and quickly picked up the black-white picture, running his long fingers on the smooth surface of the picture. "My lord, why do you have a picture of the pheasant girl?

Instantly, the man's sharp eyes were fixed on the young Italian male in front of him, he leaned in slowly and spoke with a slight edge. "What do you mean, Luther?"

"This girl, the escapee." Martin tired again, cocking his head to the side in perplexity. He placed the picture back to the desk, shaking his head in confusion. _Could it be? Could he have possibly mistaken?_ Martin was sure that it was the same person. "This girl in the picture… It was the pheasant girl that I had caught yesterday at Gray Inn road."

The male tried his to best to restrain himself from shaking from the immense shock. He exchanged a brief glance of shock with Mary before picking up the picture and holding it up to the gas lamp, studying the photo intently. A haunted disturbed look took over his neutral expression.

"Martin! Are you positive that this was the same girl?" Mary hurriedly turned to confront the confused young male who was scratching his head. Mary's eyes were wide with shock. She couldn't _believe_ it.

"Yeah. It was dim, but I am sure of it. That little brat put up quite a fight." Martin blinked, not understanding what was going on. He turned to his frozen leader. "Is there something wrong my lord?"

"HAHAHAHA! Mary, what did I tell you! This is it!" He suddenly burst out laughing, sadistic elements prominent in his vile laughter. This was _it_, the ultimate road to his greatest goal. He couldn't believe his luck. He shivered with excitement.

After all those years, after everything he had done. He had finally managed to summon her, he was so close to accomplishing his goal! He eyes were wild and crazy with lust and cold sweat of anticipation build up on his palms. It was mind bobbling to him; it was like he was in a dream like trance.

Mary looked incredibly disturbed when she took a quick glance to the photo her partner was holding up. "My lord…"

He slammed the picture down on the table, still laughing from incredible disbelief and shock. "This is her, Mary! She came, she finally came! The one who had inspired us all! We have finally managed to summon her! Ever since that day I have been dreaming for this!"

His eyes were sparked incredulously as he abruptly grabbed the knife on the table and pierced it through the picture. He looked wild, untamed and viciously hungry when he called out _her_ name.

"This is **Katherine Phantomhive**, the queen's watchdog!"

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><p><strong>This chapter was hard to write :. Anyways, hope it's not too long! I am already halfway done on the next chapter but I am kind of having a writers block. Will probably update again this week! Do leave a review if you could spare the extra time and click follow and favorite if you liked my story! I would very much appreciated it!**


	6. Her Butler, Active

**Thank you for the reviews! Anyways, I have released a new fanfiction based on Attack on Titan, Shingeki No Kyojin! Do give it a read if you absolutely love that anime/manga! Anyways enjoy! I kind of cramped everything in one chapter so it's kinda long, but i wanted to finish off this mission as fast as possible so I can focus on developing romance between SebbyxOC, and Grim reapers finally make their appearance, foreboding of next chapters! ENJOY!**

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><p>Thunder rumbled in the distance, vibrating through her thin body from her fingertips that rested on the window still. Katherine sighed unconsciously, the roaring vicious wind warning her of an impending storm. But she knew that the foreboding weather was nothing compared to the storm raging in her heart.<p>

The room seemed to have grown even darker, the dark clouds threateningly pressed against each other, as if fighting to see which one would break first. A loud crack was heard when streaks of lighting flashed and reflected in her solemn blue eyes. It was surprisingly cold that night, despite being at the end of summer, Katherine noticed.

The winds howls and Katherine could hear the rattling of the branches as the tall trees swayed in the merciless wind. The cold air stung her bare skin as a fearless storm roared with vengeance. She clutched onto her only form of protection from the unforgiving cold, a plain white dressing gown

She found her mind wandering as she stared out the white Venetian glass window to observe the raging storm outside. Torrents of rain and wind thrashed the once serene and bright world outside, showing no mercy to the grand environment around it. Trees were swaying in direction, threatening to come crashing down while the heavy rain collides against it's branches.

Awhile she witnessed this chaos wrecking the world outside, Katherine found herself drowning in her own world of raining thoughts. The air was stifling, and Katherine felt sure that they were eyes on her.

"You will catch a cold if you stand there any longer, young mistress." Sebastian spoke from the doorway, pushing in a silver tray.

"It's raining, Sebastian." Katherine's small voice was just above a whisper, her eyes never tearing away from the chaos outside. She rubbed her sapphire ring, looking distracted when the wind howled and blew her curly chocolate strands away from her face. "It's raining…"

"You haven't appetite has been low ever since you came back so I have prepared some hot milk for you." Sebastian lifted the teapot and poured a long steaming stream of fresh milk into a teacup. He eyed on the back of his young mistress cautiously before asking. "Would you like honey to go with it as well?"

The young countess did not reply her butler, still distracted at the world outside. There was something about the thrill of anticipating something big and the weather had reflected her emotions perfectly.

Sebastian sighed knowingly, walking over to her and shutting the windows. "Young mistress, please stay away from the window." His light footsteps were muffled by the thunder that boomed and echoed across London and he latched the window shut tightly before turning to her. "Please eat something."

She looked at her butler briefly before turning away from him.

_It's all for the sake of revenge,_ she reminded herself over and over again.

But she couldn't help but feel uneasy, not even with Sebastian by her side. The results of their findings took a huge toll on Katherine, Sebastian observed, for she had hardly even spoke or eaten when they arrive back at their London townhouse. The young mistress mood was even worst today and remained aloof and distant throughout the afternoon.

A frown flashed across his perfect features as he watched Katherine carefully. Her soft weary steps, her emotionless stoic eyes and her sluggish movements, concerned him greatly. She looked so despaired and fragile. She didn't look like the Katherine Phantomhive that he knew. She was as vulnerable as a fragile flower and that he could rip her to pieces in a matter of second.

Katherine radiated a sense of sorrow and her movements were almost like she was physically drained. Sebastian wondered what was she thinking, but he had a good sense of what was going on in her, she was affected, and it showed across her expression and actions. Usually, her face appeared completely neutral – as it often did. Sebastian decided this perfect front came from years of practice and controlling his expression around people.

In unguarded moments, Sebastian learned, he could still catch rare glimpses of her true feelings. But those moments were far and in between. By the looks of things, this was one of those rare moments where Katherine allowed herself to wear her heart on her sleeves.

"Would you like to take a nap? You haven't been sleeping well." Sebastian suggested when Katherine sat on her bed. He handed her a cup of warm milk laced with sweet honey. "Your health will deteriorate further."

"I am just not tired or hungry…" Katherine nonchantly replied in a weary voice, sipping on the warm milk. Light seemed to have returned to her eyes as she drank. "It's good…"

"I have added a little brandy to the milk to help calm you down." The demon butler replied.

"_Hmph_. I am not even anxious, for what do I did brandy?" Katherine rebuffed his comment, her countenance still unfazed and stoic. Her dejected eyes stared dreamily at the wisp of steam.

Sebastian regarded his mistress carefully. "Pardon my impudence, but it seems to be that you have given up already." He commented. He leaned forward, with an amused smirk etched on his face. "To be like this… So vulnerable and disturbed… You are quite lacking in determination now. It's isn't like you, young mistress."

Katherine dug her nails onto her tender thighs. "_Hah_. Not like me…?" She echoed, considering the impact of her butler's snide remark. "I suppose so. It shouldn't be like me, Countess Phantomhive, the head of the family and the queen's watchdog to be like this." She held a haughty, yet lady like appearance.

She stared at the cup in her hands briefly, before scoffing at herself and placing the warm milk back on the tray. Irritation bubbled inside her. Sebastian is right, what was she thinking? Drinking warm milk with honey like a little terrified puppy at a crucial time like this. _How did she get so weak? _

"Have you given up already?" Sebastian spoke in a degrading tone.

"Given up? Have you forgotten what keeps me entertained in my dull boring human life?" Katherine scoffed haughtily. She hopped back on her two feet and waved away Sebastian's insulting assumptions, gritting her teeth. "Games, Sebastian. Children love games."

"Is it the love for games, or for the love of winning?" Sebastian went to her dresser, picking up her clothes for the day and placed it on the top of the duvet covers. "You can never lose, not while I remain your loyal chessmen."

"Loyal?" Katherine laughed sadistically at the contradicting description. She clenched into her bandaged palm. "You just want my soul. It's part of your aesthetics."

"Of course my lady." The demon touched her soft cheek, as soft and plump as the cat paws that he adored. He trailed along her jawline and lifted her head up to meet his maroon eyes with his fingers under her chin. "While this contract remains, I shall go wherever you go. All the way to the end, even should your wish be a foolish revenge."

"Foolish revenge…" Katherine echoed, lost in her thoughts. "Yes. I suppose it is."

"Then…" Katherine walked towards Sebastian, tip-toeing nearer to his face as she wrapped her arms around his sarcasm in her voice was light, but very evident. "Isn't it more foolish that you are helping me to acquire such a foolish wish?"

The black butler looked adoringly into the depths of her eyes – her eyes that held unwavering authority and determination as she gazed into him. Enticing, entrancing orbs of the most fascinating mix of cerulean and rich sapphire that even the demon found them enchanting.

Sebastian face glazed in amusement, as usual. "A soul brimming with despair." Sebastian spoke nonchantly. His eyes deadlocked into was something sinister in the way he looked at her, something sinister and triumphant."I am only ensuring that I will receive a soul like that upon competition of my master's foolish wish. That is a demon aesthetics."

"Ah, I forget about that. You and you aesthetics." Katherine chuckled softly, her eyes turning into crescent as she released her hold around him. Somehow she felt _sad_ and lonely at his crude words, but she wasn't going to let it show. She faced her back towards him, changing the subject. "Then, lets bring an end to this quickly."

"Yes, my lady." Sebastian replied and started to undress her for a change of clothes.

"More importantly. What is your report on the findings?" Katherine felt her fine hair stand when her dressing robe left her body, chilly from the cool air. She lifted her arms, allowing her butler to wrap a corset around her.

"Martin Luther is definitely one of Madam Jeffries's minions." Sebastian said, skillfully lacing the corset tightly behind her. "He was your kidnapper."

"A rat touching me, how disgraceful." Her fingers had tightened around the bars of the bedframe and there was a hint of real irritation in her expression, as the corset grew tighter around her waist. "What about that child, Elie?"

"She is not on the missing list. Nor does she have any record about her parents." Sebastian replied, concentrating on dressing for the night's events. "Though, through some confirmed sources, Madam Jeffries was rumored to have a child."

"Of course, with a disfigured face like that. Madam Jeffries would have kept her locked up afraid of the humiliation it would bring to the family..." She concluded as Sebastian proceeded to dress her in a fine red dress. "What about the signet ring? Have you found out how Earl Coleman's family crest landed in the hands of Madam Jeffries?"

"Upon his death, the ring was passed on to his young brother, Lord Jason Coleman." Sebastian went over to the dresser to receive a matching black cloak with red and golden trimmings.

"Knowing his name is enough." Katherine nodded and Sebastian tied the cloak around her neck, and hooped vintage sapphire earrings on her ears. "Have you done your research on the location yet?"

"Certainty. There was plenty of time awhile you were chained in a dungeon." Katherine snapped her head lividly to her butler, shooting a warning glare. Sebastian was unmoved by toxicity of her glare and just continued to watch her expectantly with a grin that Katherine wanted to smack off his face.

Gritting her teeth, she turned her head away in fury and embarrassment. "It is tonight, is it not?"

"That is correct." Sebastian smiled, running his fingers down her thighs and stopped at her foot, wrapping her leg in a luxurious high-heeled black leather shoe embedded with ribbons.

She snorted distastefully, looking at the small clock by her bedside; 1:45 a.m. it read.

"If it was you, we could get there quickly..." She sighed, pressing her forehead to her palm. "My patience is at its limit, I want to go home." Katherine narrowed her doll like eyes and her brows crumpled together like two colliding trucks.

"If it is your wish." Sebastian placed a hand on his chest and bowed dutifully, closing his eyes.

Grabbing onto her black gloves folded neatly on her bed, she slipped her hands inside. "Lets end this quickly Sebastian."

His eyes opened, glistening fuchsia and he smiled, a slow dangerous smile that a predator would give to a prey it already knows it would catch. A smile that sent chills flowing through anyone body over how sinister yet enchanting it looked.

He kneeled in front of her and took her slender hands into his. He slipped the sapphire emerald-cut ring back into her fingers and kissed it gently. "As you wish, my lady."

Katherine's heart sped up again with excitement. The way he said those words… held the hint of something sinister and triumphant.

**-{xOx}- **

Katherine didn't know where they were headed for. Everything happened in a flash and her human sight couldn't keep up with the sheer amount of speed. She kept her eyes shut tightly and buried her head butler's chest a while her hands safely locked around her sprinting demon. She breathed in his scent and her hands curled around his shirt.

Fast, so incredibly fast and Katherine could feel the strong gust of wind pressing viciously on her skin when he zipped and maneuvered through the forest and roads in an astonishing speed. She opened her mouth, ready to ask Sebastian more about their destination, when the words died on her lips.

She was forced to put her trust completely in Sebastian, as he led her through the darkness. This, she decided, was nothing new. Katherine knew she could trust her demon.

"Young mistress, we are here." Sebastian soothing voice flowed into her ears, and Katherine blinked for a moment, allowing her eyes to recoup to the surroundings. She could feel her heart drop to her stomach when she saw where she was. She hadn't been here in the last three years; it was the last place she wanted to be.

Placing on the best apathetic expression that she could muster, Katherine tried her hardest to remain unaffected by the sight of her surroundings. But Sebastian knew better, he could sense the horror radiating from her body and could see the slight trembling of her lips as she studied the surroundings.

The black butler shot a glance at Katherine, her face remaining as expressionless as always. Sebastian knew all to well that his young mistress was putting on a strong front regardless of the turmoil in her heart, _this_ _place held too many memories for her._

Katherine dropped to the ground and turned to her silent companion, letting her eyes roam over his dark form before resting on his face. "Let's go…" She rasped out. Her throat was dry and parched. It had been a long time since either one of them last spoke.

Sebastian looked down and regarded her carefully. His dark red eyes pinned her down with a steady gaze as he tried to evaluate her state-of-mind. Only after deciding that Katherine was in good health and in no way in any danger did he seem satisfied enough to look away.

"Yes, my lady." He said soothingly, and moved his attention to the road ahead. Katherine continued to watch him, waiting for some further explanation, but Sebastian offered none. The silence stretched on, and Katherine finally gave up, sighing as she looked away.

They continued on with their forced march. Step by step, they went at a steady but relentless pace. This was the place, Sebastian claimed, this was the place where the kidnappers were.

Katherine felt each step get heavier. She sneaked a glance up at Sebastian. She could just see the outline of his face, partially covered by his dark hair. He radiated a sense of calm, but moved forward with an air of determination. His determined gaze was locked firmly on the road ahead.

The dirt road had turned into paved cobblestone. Her eyes widened in surprise as she took her first steps on the hardened ground. She looked back at the place where the cobblestone started and then forward again to where the new paved road went up a hill.

There was a building in the distance. As she looked on, unwanted memories that she had kept locked up for all these years threatened to spill out. Katherine felt her heart stop when she recognized the place.

There was no doubt now – this was the place where she had summoned Sebastian three years ago. The place that killed her, ruin her, the place where she was enslaved and humiliated.

A replica of the dirty old mansion that she ordered Sebastian to burn down three years ago stood tall in where the original building was. On the sides of the mansion, vines had attempted to take over. Weeds choked out most of the patchy lawn and the windows held a dirty tint. It appeared as if it had been abandoned for quite some time.

But why? Hadn't this mansion been burnt down years ago? Why did something rebuild this?

Memories came back in pieces and she was slowly putting them together in her mind. Her lips curved into a slow sad smile, and she tugged on Sebastian's sleeve, taking a deep breath in an effort to steady herself and her newfound exploding emotions. Those bitter memories, that haunted her, raped her, chained her down and repeatedly continued it's torturous process.

"Shall I knock?" Sebastian said, in a measured tone when they finally reached the front door of the mansion. He turned to Katherine to gauge her reaction.

Clenching her fist, Katherine jaw tightened as she took matters into her own hands and knocked loudly on the door. She had decided that she was going to be strong. Nothing can break her – she wasn't the old Katherine anymore.

She had expected this after she saw the mark on the signet ring. She had expected that she would come back here after looking at the engraving - the same logo of her slave mark etched on her back engraved into the gold plate of the ring, the logo of the savages that had soiled her.

But what came after the knock, Katherine never expected. "Countess Katherine Phantomhive." A thin blonde woman greeted, bowing her head. "We have been expecting you." She tried to hide her surprise, but Madam Jeffries had already caught on it.

"You are well-informed." Katherine commented coolly, holding onto Sebastian's black sleeves tighter. She narrowed her eyes distastefully at her host, remembering her face from the photos. "It was you after all, Madam Mary Jeffries."

"The same to you, my lady." Mary Jeffries smirked knowingly, and moved to the side of the entrancing, extending her hand and inviting them in. "Please, come in."

The place was musky and dirty and Katherine felt her throat grew unbearably dry when she scanned her surroundings. Everything was the same as she remembered it, the smell of death, the inverted cross decorations, and the flickering light of black candles. The aura of the room was thick and condensing, cruel and grim.

Her mind vividly flashed back to the scene, how they branded her, how they humiliated her and tainted her black as a sacrifice. How they were going to kill her. Katherine felt that if she listened closely enough, she could hear the screams of the dying children as a knife was plunged into their hearts, it almost seem to have come from the walls.

With her eyebrows crumpled to a frown, her eyes went wide when she found the voices flowing back into her head. Hissing, she breathed loudly; awhile her eyes began to wander aimlessly throughout her room. She hated it; she hated how much this place had an affect on her.

She felt her stomach wrench uncontrollably just as Sebastian caught onto her, propping her up, holding her arms for balance. "Young mistress…"

"I am fine!" Katherine hurriedly scrambled to pick up what little composure she had left.

There was no denying that the young countess had learn what death was at a young age, how humans were the most perverted and disgusting creatures that ever walked the earth and what it meant when you fell so low to call forth a demon. But the important lesson of all, was learning that humans were capable of dragging themselves out from the pits of hell.

Katherine breathing hitched, yes; she was going to drag herself out of hell again, and along her escape she would bring upon her wrathful fury.

Sebastian offered only a small smile. The first true smile he had given in a long time. "What will you have me do? Kill her?" He whispered softly in her ears as Madam Jeffries strolled forward, idly humming a dark tune.

"Not yet." Katherine was horrified at this point but her face and tone remained impassive. She had never once expected that everything would be built as it was three years ago. _But how?_ Everyone was eradicated that day, all those that had stained her was long gone. Katherine remembered the day like it was yesterday, fresh and vivid in her mind.

_Had she mistaken? Was there a survivor from that time? Were they other members?_

"How is it? Have you picked up any of presence of the missing?" Katherine inquired, glaring holes at the back of Madam Jeffries head.

"Yes, but I do not know if they are all here." Sebastian spoke regrettably, his brows crumpled together in a clash.

"Hee hee." Katherine and Sebastian snapped their heads to Mary, who stopped at a front door leading to the basement. She was smiling a secret smile. "I have never expected you, the famed Countess, to be just a mere child."

"Shut up." Katherine gritted her teeth, feeling raw hate filled emotions explode. "You will not speak to me with such familiarities."

Mary shrugged, smiling wider at the same time. Walking towards Katherine and her butler, she handed them two white masquerade mask. Katherine recognized it immediately, how could she not? It was the same mask that they wore, those mask-men that have soiled her.

Katherine had enough now. The woman's calm and devious demeanor aggravated Katherine to the core, she was mocking her, taunting her, she knows about her past, everything couldn't be just a mere _coincidence_! In an instant, she whipped out her gun from her cloak and pointed it towards a stunned Mary. "Speak! Where are the missing ladies? What do you know about me?"

The middle-aged lady seemed to be unmoved by her threatening action, merely placing a pleasant smile. She bravely took a step forward, leveling her dark gaze with Katherine's. "We have been waiting for you. We know everything about you, young countess."

"Bring me to the women now, this is your last chance." Katherine threatened with vengeance. How much she had desired to pull the trigger then and then, no one must know about her tainted past, but she had her job to partake as the queen watchdog – she needed further information to report to the queen.

Mary pushed her gun away from her with two fingers. "I will be grateful if you stop pointing that dangerous thing at me. I would be glad to show you what we have prepared for your arrival."

"Shut up!" Katherine fumed. Her fingers on the trigger were shivering from terrors of her past.

"Mary! Is that any way to treat our valued guest?!" A stern voice hollered from the other side of the room. Katherine tore her attention away from the stoic Madam and snapped her incredulous eyes at the direction of the voice.

He stepped out into the light, his identity hidden underneath the white masquerade mask and clapped his hands together, speaking with great joy. "Countess Phanthomhive, forgive the impudence. Mary meant you no harm."

"…" Sebastian and Katherine exchange a fleeting glance, a look of confusion etched on their faces as they suspiciously eyed on the newcomer. _Who is he?_

The mysterious male grinned, clasping his thin fingers together, studying the fragile small countess. His voice was laced greedy eagerness, like a child who couldn't wait for dessert after dinner. "You… You really did come. It feels like a dream to be see you in person once again."

"Once again?" Katherine cocked her eyebrow, squinting her eyes as she tried to unravel his identity and purpose. Everything was shrouded in mystery and Katherine was determined to get to the very bottom of this.

"Come, let us proceed, you wanted to see the women right?" He spoke invitingly, his voice warm and fond, like he bore a certain sick affection for the young countess. He pushed the doors to the basement open and stomped his way down eagerly, Mary following shortly behind.

Katherine looked at Sebastian skeptically for a moment, but he only spared her mere nod, indirectly assuring her that nothing would happen. They travelled down the stairs, and it felt like forever before Mary stopped at a large oak door.

Metal cages, hundreds of them, small and cramped and rusty with age. The putrid smell of the decaying and diseases hung like a poisonous vapor in the air. Sebastian was astonished to see the number of women held captive in them. "It appears that there are more victims that wasn't listed in the list, young mistress."

"Even if it is human trafficking, you handle your products way too roughly." Katherine stated impassively, scanning the room. The emotionless faces of the kidnapped, their frail fingers so thin to a point they looked like skin wrapped around a skeleton. _Those eyes_. Those were the eyes that Katherine knew so well, those eyes brimming with despair.

The mysterious man beside her chuckle, his eyes lighting up in joy. "Do you like it?"

"What are you going to use these women for?" Katherine spoke firmly, with steel threading behind it, a silent threat that one wrong answer and he would dead in a snap. Sebastian could only smirk in amusement beside her.

"Come with e, my sweet lady." He invited with a sadistic playful hint that didn't go unnoticed by Sebastian. Mary laced her arm around her lover as they guided their guest deeper into the basement.

Katherine brought up a hand towards her frantically beating heart. Deep down, she knew exactly where this was all leading, and she didn't like it one bit. Katherine knew that her senses were right and she came well prepared for it.

But saying something and actually doing it was a whole different story. Katherine incredulous eyes widen when the immense metal doors creaked open. No amount of mental preparation could save Katherine in a situation like this. She could feel her heart-rate speed up, pumping blood throughout her body – the fiery heat covering the cold.

Hot. Cold. Numb. The world was spinning out of control as the darkness threatened to closed in. Katherine was gasping out, panting – both caused from the vile stench of death wafting around the room and from the horrifying tragic scene in front of her.

An occult. The logo. The worshippers. The cages. The demonic symbol engraving on the floor. The altar. The frighten eyes of the sacrificial lambs. The iron stench of blood. The sadistic laughs. **_The devil worshippers._**

**_Everything was the same as that day three years ago._**

Her legs turned into jelly and she felt all the strength in her vanish in an instant. Over fifty sadistic hungry eyes hidden behind masquerade mask observed at her, scattered through the room. It was almost as if they were waiting for her, the main course of the finest dinner they were expecting.

Everything was the same as she remembered it and it sight was enough to drive her livid. She stepped back fearfully, seeing it in person once again was too much for her to handle. "W – what…"

She felt her back hit something hard and black-sleeved arms snaked around her protectively like a barrier. Sebastian brought her hand to his lips, and pressed a surprising chaste and gentle kiss against her palm. "I am here, young mistress." He reassured her.

Hearing Sebastian voice calmed her down significantly. She relaxed her stiffened body, desperately trying to piece back her composure. The mysterious male seemed to have noticed Katherine's dismay and he frowned in concern. "Are you alright, my lady?"

BANG!

He dropped to the ground, moaning in pain as the bullet pierced his leg. Katherine panted furiously, her forehead slick with cold sweat and her fingers trembling from the trigger. "You!" She screamed, ready to pull the trigger a second time to end his life.

"Leader!" Immediately the worshippers in the room grabbed their guns, pointing menacingly towards Katherine and Sebastian. The demon stiffened, eyeing with vengeance at the impudent humans, how dared they point a gun at her!

"My lord!" Mary charged towards Katherine, but was easily subdued by Sebastian, holding her at knifepoint.

"The lots of you! Do not point the gun at the countess! You should all know well who she is she. Lower your guns immediately! You must never kill her!" Their leader ordered, paying no heed to the burning pain on his left leg.

Garnering all the strength he had left, he looked up towards the beautiful merciless countess. "That weapon does not suit you at all, my sweet lady. Besides, I do not wish to fight you."

"What do you want from me?" Katherine was aware that her arms and shoulders were shaking, but she held himself up, using her very last vestiges of strength, willing herself not to collapse. A silence hung in the air as a new stillness filled the room, the worshippers reluctantly lowering her guns at their leader's commands.

"I remember you just like it was yesterday…" The leader spoke dreamily, even though his eyes were hidden beneath the darkness of the mask, Katherine was sure that he was staring at her – hungrily like a wild beast that hadn't been fed for weeks. It was almost like… he was hungry for her. "Where you were bought in, frighten and in tears…"

"Y – you…" _Impossible_. Katherine realized where the direction of this conversation was heading. Her chest was rising and falling with each heavy breath.

The male removed his masquerade mask, dropping it to the ground behind him. "My name is Earl Jason Coleman. Think hard sweet Katherine. For I was the one who bought you from the slaves market three years back."

"A – ah…" Katherine couldn't believe what was happening. How was this possible? She had everyone slaughter in the room! They were dead! She saw it with her own two eyes!

"You butchered them didn't you? You slaughtered them like nothing… You burned the place down to ashes…" Jason narrated softly, yet there was undercurrent in his voice that made Katherine nervous. He snapped his eyes and deadlocked it into a pair of sapphire ones. "You were granted power…"

She didn't know what to say. Too shock, too surreal – it was impossible.

"That day… when you burnt them. I watched from a far in the dense forest, I watched the mansion crumbled to the ground, eaten by the flames. But it wasn't until I saw you in London, the sole savior of the massacre, did I finally realize… That it was you who killed them…"

"Y – you…" Katherine realized her mistake. Of course, she had merely assumed that everything involved in her humiliation was in that room when she ordered their death, but Katherine had foolishly neglected the possibility that they might be others out there, survivors from the cult.

"Of course, I had to confirm my assumptions somehow." Jason laughed madly. "Did you enjoy killing my brother, my sweet lady?"

Her eyes widen in realization. "You were the one who sent me the party invitation… You condemned your own flesh and blood to hell just so you can prove some theory?" Her stomach felt sick at that thought.

"It was all for the greater good, he was a small sacrifice." Jason affirmed in a weak voice, struggling he propped himself up in one knee. He clenched his fist and placed it on his chest, bowing his head. "I have a request, my lady."

"Would you give us your _love_?"

Katherine eyes widen in shock, she heard stifling sounds and mummers and the rest of the worshippers fell to their knees, bowing their head towards their Katherine. "What… What are you talking about? I came here to eradicate all of you on the queens orders!"

"Yes, I am quite aware of that." Jason smiled tenderly. "Nevertheless, you belong with us Katherine, and we are forever at your service. Teach us, guide us, and spread the greater good in this world! Show us how to summon the demon! Show us how you obtained the divine protection!"

Katherine trembled viciously, dropping the gun on the floor. Sebastian looked impassive as he watched the mask-men bow to their beloved Katherine and he couldn't help but laugh at their foolish actions.

_What foolish interesting creatures humans are_, Sebastian mused in his head. But he enjoyed the scene nevertheless, it was ironic that they didn't even that there was a demon in the room.

Jason laughed airily, throwing his hand up in the air as he faced his relatively large group of followers, he turned to the frozen countess in adoration. "What is wrong my lady? We have been preparing this for you! Or… do you need something more?"

Sebastian was getting uneasy watching his young mistress, her breathing was ragged and she was sweating purposely. Jason panicking when he too, saw that Katherine was no longer moving. A flash of fear spread across his face. "Is this not to your liking? Mary let's prepare to do the ritual!"

"Yes, my lord." Mary smirked vilely, her cat like eyes narrowing down venomously. She gave the signal to start the ritual. A loud ringing was heard echoing and reverberating throughout the room. 3.00.a.m, the time of the devil has finally arrived. Cheers and laughers boomed the sea of masked men and women.

Sebastian watched emotionlessly at the tragic barbaric inhumane unfolded beyond his very eyes. A frail looking women kicked and screamed as the mask-men dragged her out of her cage. "AH! LET ME GO PLEASE!"

"My lady, are you enjoying yourself? I have prepared all this for you! I even had this mansion re built to its former glory. Let's redo that day once more! The sacrificial lambs, the worshippers, in the exact same location!" Jason sadistic laughter ripped the condensing air into two. "I beg you, my lady, show us! Show us what happened that day! Let the devil grants our wishes!"

Katherine watched in horror, her guts twisting and turning in all directions. The sacrificial lambs scrambled in the cages, frightened as they watched their cage mates slaughtered on the tables without mercy as the onlookers laughed. She trembled in agony, soaking in the painful familiar scene. Her fist were clenched in tight balls, she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"NO!" She shouted, her voice cracking from the stress. Her hands grabbed fistful of her chocolate hair. Teething in pain and anger, she shook vigorously from the immense pressure of the memories her horrifying past.

"What is wrong my lady?" Jason strolled towards her, towering over her as he landed a comfortingly hand on her head. "What more do you need? Tell us. Grace us with your fantastic splendors of blood, just like how to killed my brother… Just like how you killed them three years ago!"

"How dare you…" Katherine clenched her jaw together, trying to control herself. Events of her past flashed across her mind. She reached up she covered her ears; this was her absolute worst nightmare. She could hear the pitiful screams in her subconscious, they were blaming her. Her voice cracked and fury as hot as raging fire plagued her eyes.

"HOW DARE YOU?!" She roared with vengeance, grabbing her knife strapped around her thigh and plunging it straight into Jason's unguarded stomach. "HOW DARE YOU?! HOW DARE YOU?!"

Mary shrieked in horror, quickly rushing towards to aid Jason. But Sebastian was quicker, his hands snaking up behind her and twisting her arm. Mary screamed in horror as her arm dislocated in an instant, and she fell to the ground in pain. "I would suggest against interrupting my mistress, my lady." The demon warned precariously, his lips a merciless sadistic twisted smile.

Everything happened in a flash, the mask-men simultaneously whipped out their guns. Pulling on the trigger, they fired, but the bullets never reached the countess. "W – what happened?!" One of them shouted in distress.

"It is not in good manner, to interrupt somebody in amidst of their conversation." Sebastian shook his head, the bullets trapped between his fingers. He smiled wickedly, dropping the bullets to the ground, taking pure amusement from their horrified looks.

"NO! NO! NO!" Katherine moaned, finally gave into the oppressing memories, allowing it to swallow her whole. The hot pain shot up her lower back, and then twisted around to her heart. The hot, stinging bitter tears finally came – after three long years – they finally spilled out of her eyes.

Again and again, she stabbed him, ruthlessly and recklessly plunging her dagger into him.

_People like him deserve to die, people like him should be eradicated… People like him deserve hell!_

"Young mistress…" Warm gentle hands touched hers, halting her from swinging it any further. Sebastian stood behind her, one arm wrapped around her and he gently pulled her away from Jason, He whispered soothingly in her ear. "He is… already dead."

"A – ah…" Katherine finally trailed her eyes beneath her, dropping her bloodied dagger as she took in the ghastly image. She didn't know how many times she had thrust the dagger into him; she was too thirsty, too thirsty for spilled blood.

Jason Coleman was barely recognizable now – he was nothing more than an unidentified corpse, painted with blood, his entrails spilling out from the multiple stabs wounds. Huffing loudly, Katherine had exhausted herself to a point where all she could do was breath.

Her eyes were plagued with terror, terror and satisfaction as she looked at the corpse. She could feel Sebastian's hot breath on her neck, soothing her like a she was the most precious thing. "Young mistress… Everything is all right now; you are no longer in the cage… Call for me, say my name."

Katherine had briefly forgotten about Sebastian, too drunk on pleasures of exacting her anger. She had turned her concentration back to the worshippers in the middle of the room and relished in the terrified eyes as they looked at her.

The young countess knew what they were thinking. She could feel it in their horrified gaze. _How could a young innocent child like her, be so brutal in killing? _

The masked-men froze in their spot when Katherine her lips curving into a sensuous taunting smirk, all traces of the weak innocent girl gone and replaced with something more… sinister.

"You wanted to summon a demon didn't you?" Katherine began with a sharp edge, addressing the crowd of silent worshippers, Sebastian smirked behind her, anticipating her orders. "Well… I will show you what happened that day. How they died at the hands of the demon..."

"Sebastian, this is an order." Katherine called out to Sebastian standing behind her, his hand still wrapped around her shoulders. She gingerly reached her hand out, cupping his cheek. "You see all this filth in front of me? Get rid of it, they are an eyesore."

"Yes, my lady." Sebastian eyes gleamed a stunning fierce fuchsia, as he bit at the edge of his gloves.

**-{xOx}- **

She heard it, the screams. Those terrible anguish screams, just what had happened? Elie Jeffries didn't care anymore, she didn't care that about her mothers orders, she didn't care that she was strictly forbidden to enter the basement. Mother could hit her, strike her and even sent her away to live in the slumps, but it doesn't matter, Elie just wanted to make sure that her mother was safe.

She sprinted as fast as her thin legs could carry her, huffing in a rhythmic motion as she maneuvered her way quickly down the stairs. The screams had stopped now, she observed, but there was a sickening tension in the air that gave Elie Goosebumps. She could fill it at the pit of her stomach, something had gone terribly wrong…

Finally, she reached the steel metal doors. Elie had always wondered what lies inside, why Jason and her mother were so secretive about it. Many guest, or family as Jason would call them, were invited downstairs, but Elie was always kept out this meetings.

Before she could push open the metal doors, a loud creaking was heard before it opened from the other side. "L – Liz?" Elie stuttered, she bit on her lips, shocked at the current state of her.

The girl that stood before her was no Liz, the weak maid girl that had met. The girl standing in front of her was dreadfully alluring, her hair cascading down her back with a chocolate waterfall, the tips heavy with dried blood.

Her hands were stained red, blood splatters littered over her face and clothing.

Yet despite the **bloody** gruesome mess she was in, she still looked flawless, ethereal, stunning - it was like blood complimented her and it _clung_ onto her like a second skin.

"W – what… What happened to you…" Elie tried her best to keep her composure, but there were the obvious cracks in her voice. Another agonizing scream rippled through the air, and Elie instantly snapped out of her stunned trance and looked into the room. "Mother!" She called out, ready to sprint into the room.

"Dead." Katherine finally spoke, her eyes half-lidded like she was emotionally fatigued. "I killed her."

"Y – you… W – what?" Elietook a step back, severely distressed by the news. "You are lying! Let me see her at once!" She brushed Katherine by the shoulders, wanting to enter the doors behind her.

"There is nothing worst than seeing your parents corpse." Katherine murmured, catching onto Elie's wrist before she could enter. Taking advantage of the fact that Elie was too stunned by the news, she pulled her in front of her, and spoke rigidly. "Mary Jeffries is dead, I killed her."

Elie felt her throat grow parched dry, her thumping heart beat elevate, and her nerves recoil in fright at the awareness of danger trailing in front of her, a truly beautiful danger in front of her. She felt her stomach twisted in a knot, and fear creeping up her spine when her back touched the wall. "Why Liz?"

"My name is Katherine Phantomhive, the queen's watchdog and the infamous evil nobleman." She correctly sternly, but the young countess's face lacked emotion as she stared at Elie. Nothing was detectable on her face, cool and emotionless like a bronze mask.

"Young mistress… We must get back to the manor as quickly as possible." Sebastian came out from the metal door, putting on a new pair of white gloves. His eyebrow cocked up when he saw Elie.

"W – why did you do it! Mother was kind, she was trying to help me!" Elie shrieked. Katherine noticed Elie's glowering and accusing eyes, she straighten up at his sight, laughing.

"_Kind_? HAHAH, yes we humans are kind!" Katherine sang, tilting her head upwards as she laughed merrily. She locked gaze with Elie, a malevolent look on her cool angelic featuresShe glowered at the diminishing human, her eyes pinning her down with her menacing gaze. Katherine's heart was clearly saddened at the obliviousness that was streaming from the Elie's small body, this child, Katherine knew, could never survive in a cold dangerous world like this.

"Your mother kidnapped hundreds, used them as sacrificial lambs to summon a demon to grant her wishes. She slaughtered her own sister with her bear hands, and took her unborn baby as a sacrifice to the demons. Now tell me, sweet Elie… Is your mother kind…?"

"S - she did it for me… And you killed her!" Elie roared, hot stinging tears spilling out of her eyes. She trembled at the news, Hatred and vengeance was entrenching her body was growing with every passing second as she desperately tried to hold back the tears. "You will pay for this… YOU WILL-"

"Sebastian… The trash…"

Katherine felt terribly fatigue as they walked, passing through the basement where the slaves were kept. She could hear the soft footsteps of Sebastian trailing behind her. Katherine could feel gazes pinned on her, those despaired eyes that bore into her soul.

"Please… God I beg you… have mercy on us…"

She looked towards one of the nearby cages, looking at the owner of the soft voice. Sapphire eyes appraised her like a lifeless doll, and Katherine watched a child, no other than ten with her hands interlocked together in a prayer.

"It's useless…" Katherine spoke softly when the child locked gazes with her. She could see the terror in the child's eyes at her current bloody state. "God does not exist, no one will recuse you…"

A long time ago; Katherine had decided that the dark was just as beautiful as the night.

The gleaming moonlight sparkled exactly like the burning sunrays, the sounds of hooting owls and noisy crickets sounded equally as charming like the birds and buzzing bees – there was not much of a difference, yet why do people choose to live in the light over the dark?

Stupid people, Katherine would correct herself, only stupid people would choose to live a life in the light rather than the darkness.

"Young mistress..." Sebastian called out, causing Katherine to halt in her tracks, snapping out of her cloud of dark thoughts. "Are you alright?"

"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" Katherine replied impassively, not turning her back to face him. Sebastian merely nodded his head wanting to move forward, but Katherine remained rigid to the place where she stopped.

She glazed her emotionless eyes around the place, seeing hundreds of pleading eyes looking at her behind the bars of cage. Katherine could almost see her past in them, how she too, was once locked in a cage and treated nothing more than an animal.

Her despaired past was still fresh in her memory, and Katherine wondered if she looked as pitiful as them when she met Sebastian.

Her past when her fists would only bleed, not strike, when she witnessed and touched death, only to feel her fingertips shudder in despair. When everything she had held dear was obliterated, pulverized, burnt to dust and washed away in the ferocious raging fire then forgotten forever.

Just like how they set **_ablaze_** her every source of happiness, she will do it them too.

"Young mistress?" Sebastian spoke softly. She turned around abruptly and wrapped her frail arms around his waist, burying her face into his chest. Surprise flashed across the demon's face, as he heard Katherine mutter something inaudible into this shirt. Touching her hair softly, he opened his sinuous lips to speak. "What is wrong…?"

She lifted her face from his shirt and locking her apathetic sapphires eyes with his ruby reds one, her voice grim and tight. "…Burn it to the ground, Sebastian…"

"What about the queen's order-" He paused midway when he saw the flash of determination in her narrowed imploring eyes, and he smiled softly, nodding his head. Pressing his lips on her forehead, Sebastian could taste the blood of the decreased on her. He couldn't begin to describe how beautiful she looked to him, unwavering, vicious and beautiful like dancing rapier.

Wrapping his tightly around her, the flames from the candles raged viciously under his demonic powers, spreading its wrathful fury around them.

"As you wish, my lady." Fire blazed around them, it's orange tongue's licking the oxygen around them as Katherine heard the first screams. She sighed and closed her eyes, safe in her demon's arms.

Somewhere off the distance, he watched with intent and amusement. He raked his long fingers down this long silk scarlet hair and smirked, his sharp razor teeth in full display. "As expected from one who's hired a demon…" He observed the raging fire with great intent.

"Cold… and merciless, a soul that cannot be saved." His lips curled upwards as he clenched harder onto the scarlet modified death scythe in his arms. "Red is the color of fiery passion… Oh, this is such a brilliant sight to _die_ for!" He threw his hands around himself, and blushed.

"Senpai! What are you doing?! You don't want to work any over time do you?" A young male with the same stunning yellow-green stepped into the scene, dragging over his lawnmower death scythe. He pushed his blonde hair back into his usual cowlick.

The red-hair grim reaper grinned mischievously. "Of course not!" He screamed, sighing before reverting his eyes back to the blazing scene. "But what an angelic devil… Such an insatiable creature putting on a tailcoat and playing butler…" He licked his lips. "Makes me wonder what kind of man he is…"

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry if not much romance going on. It's hard to develop romance when you're busy cracking your brain at on a mission, next chapter will definitely include some really cute scenes for all you fangirls out there! I have already written half of it! Thank you for you support! And yes, Grim reapers finally make their appearance, foreboding of future chapters. *attacks Grell* I LOVE YOUUU!<br>**


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